Lies My Therapist Told Me
by Nuwanda31
Summary: Reid is sent to a therapist: the charming, captivating Dr. Riley Parker. Meanwhile, a criminally insane patient of hers is set free. Reid suspects he is out to get revenge on the young doctor and will put his career and life on the line to save her.
1. Evaluation Day

Summary: In order to remain with the FBI, Reid is assigned to Dr. Riley Parker, a psychiatrist working for the Bureau. To the rest of the team, she's just another FBI shrink, but to Dr. Reid she means much, much more.

But, as usual, disaster strikes when Dr. Parker comes to the B.A.U. for help. A serial killer which she shares a bad history with is at large again. Reid knows Riley is in danger and will stop at nothing to save her even if it means giving up his life and his career.

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is property of CBS, the writers, producers, and actors of the show. I have no authority over anything except original characters.

………………………….

Reid had put this off long enough, he knew it, but, like the rest of his team, he wasn't sure why this was necessary. After all, Hotch gave them their annual evaluation just three months ago, why did the higher ranks of the FBI, including Strauss, feel a "more official" one was needed?

Unfortunately, like his annual one, there was no escaping this examination. If he stayed calm and gave precise, short, exact answers, he could get it over quickly and not give the FBI anything to worry about.

Alone now, Reid headed into town. The psychiatrist, Dr. Riley Parker, was said to be very annoyed with the young doctor, as his assistant had said after Reid's third cancellation. Through obligation only, Reid suspected, Dr. Parker's assistant called to rearrange, saying the only way Dr. Parker could fit him in was if they met at a diner in town. Reid obliged and he and his unprofessional driving skills were on the way.

No one else on the team had mentioned much about their evaluation, which calmed Reid a little. If it had turned out to be something serious or difficult, the first person quickly would have warned the rest. They worked well like that. Still, Reid was nervous. The rest of them didn't have irregular brain powers and a family history of mental illness. Perhaps he was afraid if he said the wrong thing, he'd be fired, or worse, admitted just like his mother.

The parking lot at Lisa Marie's Diner seemed pretty full. The lunch rush no doubt. Reid had no idea what Dr. Parker's car looked like or even the model so there was no way he could tell at this point if he was here yet or not. Or maybe he'd miss the appointment entirely. Reid could put it off for another two weeks. Hotch couldn't get mad if the shrink didn't show up.

Parking the car, Reid grabbed his bag and headed towards the entrance. He took a deep breath, taking a quick glance in the window…

…freezing in his spot, he had to look again.

She was like some mythical creature that had come to life, as if this was the woman a Disney character had been based on, like Snow White. She was beautiful, long black hair, exceedingly long, pulled into a French braid. Her skin was pale, but not sickly looking. Her eyes were hidden behind a pair of elegant eye glass frames and even though he couldn't see their color, though he wished he could, he could see such a sparkle in them. Like diamond dust was dazzling in them.

She was young. There couldn't have been more than a few years difference between the two. As the waiter walked over, she began to speak. Reid couldn't hear a word, but loved to watch her lips move around her gleaming white teeth. They were a bit misshapen; it seemed to give her face personality and character. As she smiled, Reid felt his stomach contract and felt dizzy. He took a deep breath to settle himself.

It didn't last long, though. As the waiter walked away, he watched as "Snow White" pulled out her bag and a brown folder. The folder… looked awfully familiar.

And as the official FBI seal stamped on the front came into view, Reid felt his jaw drop slightly.

No, this couldn't the psychiatrist! Reid thought for a moment. He was sure that Dr. Parker was a man, no he was certain. Hotch had said so.

Hotch hadn't said so, thinking back. Hotch hadn't informed them who would be conducting the analysis until just before the procedures began. No one had told Reid about the shrink him(or, in this case her)self. Not to mention the first name was Riley. That wasn't an uncommon girl's name.

"Riley," he whispered. It was sounding more beautiful by the minute, and for the first time in a long time, Reid thought of that name without flashing back Riley Jenkins.

His brain was getting fuzzy, making him sound like some high school kid in a cheesy Lifetime movie. He stared at her longer, watching her go over the file. Reid couldn't bear to make himself go in there. He had to stay calm and collected during this if he wanted to keep his job. He couldn't make himself feel secure out here, hidden from view, how could he do it in front of her?

Reid suddenly felt like he was back in high school. All that was missing was being naked on the football field again.

The waiter returned with coffee for the young girl. She smiled and thanked him and Reid watched. He watched as she added three creams, he watched as she added two sugars, he watched as her delicate fingers slowly stirred the hot liquid to the appropriate color and then lift the cup to drink. And if he thought her lips were beautiful dancing around her teeth, he was completely enchanted as they wrapped around the porcelain as she took a sip.

He couldn't go in. It was like there was a spell on him… maybe she was some kind of enchantress.

"You're delusional." He said to himself.

After awhile, she started checking the clock on her cell phone every few moments. Each time she did, she rolled her eyes and held an expression of annoyance. Reid couldn't help but laugh to himself each time she did it. Her face and its expressions looked so cute.

2 hours went by and Reid didn't notice a moment. His eyes never left her. After awhile, instead of dreading going in, he began to feel invigorated for just getting to admire her so long. He chuckled again. How many unsubs had he profiled, saying they began as peeping toms and stalkers?

As the waiter came over to offer a seventh cup of coffee (she certainly could down the stuff) she waved him away and asked for the check. She began gathering up the files and papers, putting them neatly back into her bag. Riley, or "Snow White" as Reid continued to refer to her, had lost her look of annoyance and simply looked discouraged… like she had failed.

He watched as she walked to the front, wearing a brown skirt with a light blue cardigan over a white blouse, each piece of clothing fitting and showing her curves perfectly, pay for her coffee and head out the door.

There wasn't much thought of the trouble he'd be in, returning without his evaluation done, but a surge of panic hit him. What if he never saw her again?

Quickly, Reid's legs seemed to have taken completely control and rushed to the front door to meet her, faster than was natural.

And, as Newton said, "To every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction". Reid collided with her just as she was exiting, causing her to step on his foot… and sending her straight onto the concrete.

He watched in agony for a moment, terrified of what would happen once the initial shock washed over. He heard her scream of fright and then a loud moan as pain swept up through her from the impact.

"God damnit!" she screamed after a moment. She looked up at Reid with rage and antagonism in her eyes. "You should watch were you're going!"

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, offering his hand to help her up. He tried his best not to stutter or stammer or sound incompetent. He was extremely nervous and hoped she couldn't see it. "I… I'm late for a meeting with someone. I didn't mean to… knock you down."

Thankfully, she accepted his hand and pulled herself up. Luckily, her bag had remained fastened, keeping all her files and work safe. She checked the latches before straightening herself. "It's alright," she said, though her tone informed him it wasn't. She brushed the dirt off of her (Reid felt a stab of guilt at a few dirt smears on her blue sweater) and looked up at Reid in question. She was tall, he noticed. Probably 5'10 or '11.

"Wait, meeting?" she inquired. "You're not… you're not Dr. Reid, are you?"

She was quick. "Yes… I'm sorry, Dr. Parker?"

"Yes!" she cried. Her annoyance had turned to fury which was now erupting to the service. "I had just given up on you! I was about to head back to the office. You're two hours late, where have you been?"

"I lost track of time." He said quickly. "Uh… you know, a new case we're working on."

"I see," she said. She wasn't just annoyed. She was thoroughly pissed. "Well, you're here. Let's get this over with so we don't have to do this again." She opened the door and walked back inside. "It's not like I don't have a schedule, too, you know." She mumbled under her breath.

He couldn't help it. Everything she was doing… it was like he'd never made human contact before. Everything she did, no matter how angry she seemed or how rude her attitude towards him was, made him want to be around her more.

Thirty minutes went by quickly. Reid shook hands with a very cold Dr. Parker, trying to remember exactly what they had discussed, but it all seemed a blur. She put her things away again and pushed past him out to the front doors, without so much as a goodbye. He watched her through the window, this time inside, as she got into her black Jeep and head onto the highway.

Heading out the door, Reid began to believe he'd never see her again. Even if his analysis was a cause for concern, it would be turned over to someone else. Maybe that was for the best, though.

Garcia believed that everything happened for a reason, as she had told him before. For the first time he found himself not only believing but certain it was true. Riley Parker had come into his life for a reason. He'd have to wait, and next time would go much more smoothly.

A/N: This is my first CM fanfic in a long time and the last one I wrote should be burned, so I'm hoping this one turns out better. You guys know the drill. Enjoy!


	2. Three Months

Friday afternoon arrived and Reid was finishing a letter to his mother. He had written about the case they had closed yesterday; a killer keeping the whole team including Garcia located in Hawkeye, Iowa for five days. He also told about finishing his B.A. in Philosophy in the next semester. He wasn't exactly sure what he'd do after it was finished, but there were always new challenges.

His pen danced at the end of his last written sentence. His mind drifted back to three weeks ago. His thoughts centered once again on the mythical creature known as Dr. Riley Parker.

Thoughts of her crept up at different times during the last three weeks. It was never anything distracting, just at times when his mind seemed to have a peaceful moment of no stress or pressure. Especially right when he was falling asleep. Last night had been the worst. He began to wonder what it would be like to fall asleep next to her. With that, he ended up having a restless night with her invading his dreams.

Talking or writing about her would just make this real and he knew that any infatuation he felt for Ri- for Dr. Parker, he had to get into the habit of her formal name- any infatuation would soon pass and he could move on.

He signed a goodbye, with a promise that he'd write tomorrow, and signed his name. Riley Parker was still in his mind's eye, though. It would be a little while before he was distracted enough to push her out.

As if by summon, Reid sealed the envelope and heard the sound of Hotch's office door opening. The sound of talking, animated talking, was heard. Reid took a quick glance in the direction and was shocked.

She was back. Dr. Riley Parker, in the flesh. She stood, talking to Agent Hotchner like they were old friends. She was holding a stack of files in her arms as they walked. Today, she still wore a skirt, with a dark blue shirt. Reid hadn't noticed her shoes last time. He smiled, admiring them. Not too many woman over the age of ten wore Mary Jane's. Dr. Parker was an exception.

"I'll be sure to hold you to that!" She said through a laugh and Reid was surprised to see Hotch laughing along with her. "Nice seeing you again, Hotch."

"You too, Riley, keep in touch." He said, shaking hands with her. "And thank you for all your help, you'd made this much less painful then it usual."

"Well, I've always been gifted!" she said through a perfectly misshapen tooth smile. Reid felt dizzy again as he stared at her. He watched as Hotch gave her a friendly tap on her shoulder and walked back inside.

With an almost childlike enthusiasm, Snow White hurried down the steps and towards the doors of the B.A.U. He hadn't planned on going after her, worshipping her from afar was enough for him.

Just then Morgan walked in.

"Well, if it isn't the vivacious and stunning Dr. Parker." He said, with his smile saved especially for conversations with very intriguing women. "Here for another useless government survey."

"Those useless surveys, Agent Morgan, are helping to pay my bills!" she said with the same smile she held when speaking with Hotch.

"Now you're telling me you don't have someone special to spoil you?" he asked. The flirting was obvious. Reid felt a slight twinge of jealousy, but he didn't think it was from that.

"Why, are you offering?" she asked. She batted her eyelashes and Reid had a sudden flash to Scarlet O'Hara. Morgan laughed harder and she continued. "No, I was just turning my boss's finally decisions over to your boss."

"Oh, I see," he said. "Uh… anyone get thrown under the bus?"

"Oh, don't worry, he didn't think your bed wetting was too much of a concern." She exclaimed, much too loudly. A few people looked over in curiosity as Miss O'Hara folded back her lips to keep her giggles in.

Morgan only chuckled. "Thanks, glad to know you have my back."

The jealousy in Reid's stomach had grown. He had a suspicion it was from the connection Morgan shared with Dr. Parker. Hotch had the same one. He didn't have that with her… of course, that was his fault.

But once again, his legs had taken control and drew Reid over to the lively conversation. The smile seemed to fade almost completely from Dr. Parker's face. Reid hid his disappointment. He silently applauded himself on how well.

"Hey, Morgan," he said, trying not to sound nervous. "Dr. Parker, right?"

"Correct," she said quickly. "Dr. Reid, I'm proud of you. You walked in front of me and I'm still standing."

"Well, I didn't want to step on your Mary Jane's this time. I'm sure a woman of your age needs to act like a child every now and then. I'd torture myself if I ruined that for you."

Without missing a beat, she shot him back using the most pleasing of tones. "Well, that's very considerate of you Dr. Howser- I mean, Dr. Reid. But if you boys will excuse me, I'm late for an appointment. Silly me, I'm a stickler for being on time, and I hate to reschedule. Have a nice day."

With that, with a little extra determination in her step, Dr. Parker headed towards the elevators. Her charming powers seemed at work as the elevator opened at just the moment she arrived. Morgan and Reid watched her until they closed. Still smiling, Morgan turned to the young genius.

"She is something worth talking about." He muttered

"Are you kidding?" Reid cried. "She's abrasive, impatient, and arrogant."

Morgan sneered and shook his head. "Oh, man, you are so hot for her."

Reid would normally protest, but instead looked away. "I know, she's going to drive me insane."

"Kid," he said. "It's what they do best."

………………………

Before the day could come to a close, Hotch called everyone to his office one by one to give them the confidential news of the analysis. Reid knew he'd be last, it was only fair and by the time he was finally called, everyone else had left.

"Reid," Hotch said, "Sit down."

Reid closed the door and slowly took his seat. He didn't want to hear what was written in that folder. Something inside him, a knot-like feeling in his stomach told him it was bad news.

"Reid," he said. "You're job is safe right now."

Reid exhaled a long breath he'd been holding. "Oh," he stammered. He knew there was more. "That's good."

"Yes," he said. "It's safe for now, but… Reid, they're not too happy with you. I'm going to be honest. The reason for this evaluation was simply for you. They only ordered the entire team to participate so you wouldn't be embarrassed."

"Oh," Reid said, not as relaxed this time. He retorted with a sarcastic remark. "That was considerate."

"Reid, they're concerned about you. You're a smart kid, but you've made stupid, life-threatening decisions. Decisions that had you not been as lucky as you were would have caused you your life and the lives of other agents. And the drugs-"

"I've been clean for over a year, Hotch! And I still go to meetings!"

"I know!" He urged, trying to remain calm. "But, with a stressful job like this, they know you are at a higher risk of a relapse then someone in even another department."

Reid nodded, afraid of what was coming next. Hotch waited for some response or negation, but it never came. He cleared his throat and continued. "So… the F.B.I wants you to see a psychiatrist."

"A psychiatrist?" Reid repeated. "For how long?"

"It's open-ended. They'll re-evaluate you in three months, see what progress you've made and decide from there."

"Decide what?" he asked.

"Decide whether you should continue seeing the doctor up to your annual evaluation, to discontinue the visits…"

"Or fire me?"

"Yes," he nodded. "And… they warned me. If, at three months, you do need to continue your psychiatric visits, they will transfer you."

Reid let out another long breath. "I see," he said. "When?"

"You'll start weekly visits on Sundays."

"Sundays?" He exclaimed shocked.

"Reid, we're not often out on cases on Sundays. I picked the day you'll go, so there won't be any point to argue."

"Yes, sir," he said. He stood to leave.

"You start this Sunday, Reid. You'll meet with Dr. Samuel Andrews at noon at his office."

Reid nodded, but didn't even bother offering a word of respect or even utter a goodbye before grabbing his things from the bull pen and heading out the door.

"Thanks, Dr. Parker," he said. He was starting to resent her. Good, maybe she wouldn't invade his dreams again.

Of course, he wasn't so lucky.

A/N: I know it's kind of slow right now, but I swear it's going to get better. I've got big plans.


	3. The First Session

Riley opened the file she'd been holding in her hands for almost three weeks straight. It wasn't ideal to work on the weekends, but at least her patients kept her mind off things.

The parole hearing wasn't for another five weeks, but she wanted to be as familiar with this as possible. There was no way she's going to let them release this man. She'd fight with every power inside her to keep him locked up. He may have fooled everyone else, but she wasn't buying it. His remorse, his kindness, his new faith in God – it was all an act. Riley saw right through him and made every attempt to get everyone else to see the truth. Everyone working in that hospital thought she was overreacting or overcompensating or just plain mean, but her gut instincts told her. This was a dangerous man and he had to stay put away for the rest of his life.

If he did get out, it would only be a matter of time before bodies started showing up again. The same MO, the same everything.

"Riley," someone said, knocking on her open door.

"Sam!" she exclaimed, almost spilling her coffee as she set it down. She quickly closed the file.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He said, stepping in.

"No, it's alright, I was just… what's up?" She looked up intently, hoping her eyes hid her fear.

"I need a favor." He said quickly, taking a seat.

"Okay, what is it?" He wasn't one who normally asked for favors.

"I've been asked to temporarily take on another patient in New York City; I'll be gone for about two weeks, maybe more. It's a very severe case. I'm passing my patients onto a few of the other doctors while I'm gone and was wondering if you would take a couple."

"Oh," she said, relieved. "Sure, no problem."

"Great," he exclaimed. "I'll make sure their times don't interfere with your schedule. Although, there is one more thing."

"What?" she asked.

"I'm supposed to start with a new patient tomorrow. He's an agent, he's suppose to see me weekly for about three months. I don't think it would be best to let you work with him for so short a time and then start over with me, so-"

"Save your breath, I'll take over the case."

"Are you sure?" he asked, concerned.

"Sam, it's no problem." She said with a bright smile. "You owe me, but it's no problem."

"I owe you big time." He said, staring at her intently. "Maybe I could… repay you over dinner?"

Riley bit her lip for a moment in a disagreeable way. "Sam, you're a great guy, and normally I would accept, but… I don't date people I work with. It never works out."

"Oh," he said. "I see."

"Believe me, it's not you. I don't think I'd date anyone in the F.B.I., but certainly not someone in the same department."

"I understand, it was worth a shot though." He said with a comforting smile and stood to leave. He patted her arm to show no hard feelings. "I'll drop those cases at the front desk before I leave."

"Thanks," she said as he closed the door and left.

Now she'd be working Saturdays and Sundays. Working weekends was not ideal, but it was a perfect distraction.

…………………………

At a quarter to noon, Reid arrived at the F.B.I. headquarters. He didn't want to anger Dr. Andrews in anyway, so purposely arrived early. He just had to stay calm and act natural, give nothing for Dr. Andrews to be concerned about. Three months would pass, he'd get the green light to stay at the B.A.U. and put this whole thing behind him.

"Hi," Reid said to the receptionist. "I'm Dr. Spencer Reid. I have an appointment at 12 o'clock."

She began typing at lightening speed and soon nodded in agreement. "Yes, you can have a seat. I'll alert the doctor that you're here."

"Thank you," he said. He sat in the closest chair and waited as the receptionist picked up her phone. "Yes, Dr. Reid is here for his session." She waited for a moment. Reid looked over the waiting room.

The room was dimly light and with a few still life paintings on the walls. It had seemed the decorator didn't want anything too stimulating, perhaps as to not upset the patients that would sit there. There was no else there, probably because barely anyone worked on the weekends, at least not in this department. He knew J.J. was busy looking over case files for the next day over at the office, but everyone else he knew was home. And J.J. wouldn't be there long as it was.

"Alright, thank you." The receptionist said and hung up. "Dr. Parker will see you now. Room 202." She said, and turned back to her computer.

"What?" Reid asked. "No, I'm Dr. Andrews' patient. I'm here to see him."

"Well, Dr. Andrews is out of town." She said, typing on the computer again. "Are you sure your appointment wasn't cancelled?"

"If it was, no one told me." He stood and walked back to the desk. He glanced onto the screen, but the glare from the receptionist's lamp made it impossible to read.

"Oh, I see." She said, indicating something on the screen. "Dr. Andrews had to turn your case over to someone else since he'll be gone for so long. He had to have the other doctors take on all his patients during his absence."

"Well, how long until he comes back?"

"We're not sure, but it doesn't matter for you anyway." She was getting annoyed. "It says here you've been permanently reassigned to Dr. Parker. She'll be in charge of your case from now on."

Reid heaved a heavy sigh. "Perfect," he mumbled, turning and heading to the corridor. He might as well pack up his desk now.

He knocked on the door of Room 202 and a quick "Come in," was heard from inside. He took a deep breath, hoping against hope he wouldn't be hit with the same debilitation once he saw her.

That was a frivolous thought.

Standing at one of her bookshelves, Dr. Parker was faced away from him. Even from behind, Reid felt intoxicated by her. It was almost like being back on Dilaudid. (Almost). In a dark brown skirt and light blue button up blouse, the same black nylons as before and, Reid noticed joyfully, the Mary Jane's.

"Be with you in a second," she said, reaching up to her top shelf, which was ever so slightly out of reach. He should have run over to help her reach whatever she needed, but before he could convince himself to, his mind became too foggy with the image of her stretching up to reach, the fabric from her blouse tightening around her as her elegant arm extended.

"Take your time." He said.

"There's fresh coffee if you'd like some."

"Thanks," he responded. She seemed in better spirits today. He went over to the counter to help himself to a cup. It brought him closer to her making the smell of the coffee mix with her subtle scent of perfume and cigarette smoke. He was grateful to be able to busy himself for a moment while inhaling it in.

She pulled her book down and went over to the coffee table in the center of two couches and a large arm chair. Reid nonchalantly watched her and took a sip.

The coffee the hit his mouth was unreasonably strong and he quickly spit it out, all over her cream colored carpet.

Dr. Parker looked in amazement at the spectacle, her mouth open. Reid slowly glanced at her, watching her a full minute before she spoke. "Wow," she finally said, looking partly amazed. "That'll stain. That'll stain nicely."

"I'm sorry," he said. "I thought you said this was coffee, not battery acid."

"I guess I should have warned you, I make it fairly strong." She said. "Take a seat, let's get started."

"I'm sorry-"

"It's fine, let's get started."

Reid took a seat on the couch and looked at the book she had taken down. A Look into the Mind of the Criminally Insane. "I hope that book's not for me."

"I don't think so, unless there's something in there about spitting perfectly good coffee all over a clean carpet."

"I said I was sorry."

"I know," she said quickly again. She grabbed some pens and a legal pad. She pulled his file out from under a pile of disarray papers and laid it open. "Alright, Dr. Spencer Reid. Let's get started."

"Do I have to lie down?" he asked.

"Do you want to lie down?" she asked.

"Not really," he replied.

"Then don't lie down. You're just supposed to be comfortable."

They sat in silence for a moment. Dr. Parker stared at Reid; Reid stared absent mindedly at the book cover. "Where do you want to start?" he asked.

"Where ever you want to start." She said.

"Am I supposed to talk about my mother? Or maybe my childhood?"

"If you want to talk about your mother or your childhood." She answered.

"I don't get this, what am I supposed to talk about with you?"

"You know, for someone with a Ph.D. in psychology, you certainly don't know much about this process." She stated. Then, taking a deep breath, she folded her hands and continued. "Okay, how can I explain this? You see, let's think of this as just one long venting session. Do you have a friend who you turned to when you need to talk about something or just get something off your chest? Even if it doesn't concern them at all."

Reid thought about it. "I have a few," he said. A whole team, actually.

"Okay, that's basically what where going to start at. If you need to get something off your chest or just confide in someone, that's what I'm here for. We'll start from there, and once we create a foundation, I'll know of what areas we should focus on. So, do you have anything you'd like to talk about?"

His mind started swimming. Of course there was his mother: his guilt over putting her in a home, his worry that her schizophrenia had been passed to him. His childhood, the torture he endured at school, his need to prove himself on the team, the fact that his insides did somersaults and cartwheels every time he looked at his therapist…

"Not really," he said.

"Oh, you're one of the difficult ones, aren't you." She began writing. Reid didn't even bother to try and see it. "Okay, um… why don't you tell me something about your last case?"

Reid nodded. He glanced over quickly and saw the coffee stain again. He was making a bigger jerk of himself by the minute. Thinking it over, it was obviously understandable as to why Dr. Parker had it in for him. Turning back, he began retelling their case from Hawkeye, Iowa.


	4. Don't You Dare

She was becoming more distracting. Before long, Riley Parker had found her way into Reid's mind so many times, it was becoming one constant interruption. He was beginning to force himself to concentrate during investigations. None of this had gone unnoticed with the team, either. Many had noticed (and pointed out) it took Reid twice as long as usual when he read over things.

But Sundays were suddenly becoming his salvation and aspiration for the week. No matter how much Dr. Parker seemed to dislike him, he still wanted to be around her. The more she slighted him and the more insults she threw at him, the more he wanted her.

That didn't make any sense.

He awoke to the sounds of stifled laughter. He must have fallen asleep on the plane ride back to Quantico. Emily, J.J. and Morgan all sat around him. Rossi was reading closer to the front of the plane and Hotch, too, was sleeping at a distance from the group. A pile of playing cards littered the table between the four.

"Hey," Morgan said softly. "Sleep well, buddy?"

He rubbed the sleep from his face as he spoke. "I meant to just rest my eyes for a minute, how long was I out?"

"About twenty minutes." Emily said, sharing a glance with Morgan. J.J. was smiling, trying to pay more attention to her cards.

"What?" he asked.

"Dreaming about anything, kid?" Morgan asked.

"Not that I remember, why?"

"Riley," Emily said softly in a mocking cry. "Riley."

"What?"

"You were calling 'Riley' out in your sleep." J.J. said, looking up. "Leave him alone, you guys."

"Who's Riley?" Emily asked.

Before Reid could answer – or deny – Morgan jumped in. "As I recall that's Dr. Parker's first name… and she's your therapist, isn't she?"

"I wasn't dreaming about Dr. Parker." Reid said, sitting up. He pushed back his hair in frustration. "Maybe, if I was, only for the wish that I could get these sessions done and get her and her negative attitude towards me out of my life."

"You had said awhile ago that you have the hots for her."

He was falling deeper into this hole. "I… had a slight attraction to her at first. But that was simply because she's very striking and dazzling and beautiful. Knowing her now, I couldn't begin to be interested in someone even professionally who is so furious or has such a short, hot temper like she does."

"Listen to yourself, Reid! Could you want her more?" Emily hissed. Morgan was trying to stifle his laughter.

"I do not want her!"

"I think she's right, Reid. I don't know one person who describes anyone they don't like with 'striking' and 'dazzling'." J.J. said with a smirk.

"He's going to be sad when these three months are over," Morgan said, laying down a card.

"Guys, just… drop it, okay."

They took the hint and went back to their game, not mentioning it for the rest of the ride. Reid looked at his watch. As he did, he felt a leap in his chest. It had just past midnight. They'd be back home within the hour, and it was only twelve hours until his next session.

…………………………

"Hey, Brianiac," Dr. Parker said as Reid entered the room at noon that day. He didn't bother to knock anymore.

The tension between Reid and Dr. Parker had lifted some since their first session. Reid had begun to trust Dr. Parker a little and started opening up to her, telling her more about his thoughts on the cases they finished and was just about to start discussing more personal parts of his life; at least, that's what she suspected. As for her attitude, it had taken a turn for the better. She had come in the habit of calling him "Brianiac" every time she greeted him. He didn't want to admit he liked it.

"Hello, Dr. Parker," he said, coming in to take a seat. He waited while she finished riffling through her file cabinets, admiring her every move.

"I was just about to run and grab a soda, can I get you one?" she asked.

"No thanks," he said. "It'll just wind up on the floor if you do."

There was a pause, and Reid was surprised when he heard laughter. She turned back to him with the brightest smile. It was the first time Reid had made her laugh and he'd never heard it quite like that. A thought struck his head. If stars could make a noise when they twinkled… that would be it.

_Oh god, what is the matter with you?_ He asked himself.

"I'll be right back, kiddo," she said through her laughter while heading out into the corridor, closing the door behind her.

Reid was alone. Finally, a real chance to take in Dr. Parker's office. There was a desk next to her private bathroom which door was left open. The desk looked neat, orderly. From the look of the rest of the room, Reid knew she didn't use her desk very much, if at all.

From there, his eyes danced quickly to the counter top, holding the coffee pot and such accouterments, over to the large book shelves. They were packed with books. Reid caught a few of the titles, some were too small to read. The ones he saw where psych books. Criminally insane, child psychology, victim psychology, etc. The walls were a creamy color, lighter than the carpet, with four or five posters of different Broadway musicals lining the walls – she was a fan of Andrew Lloyd Weber.

That's when Reid looked at the coffee table. The same papers were always in disarray. Glancing at the door, Reid riffled through them and took the F.B.I. issued brown folder and read.

Fueller, George Harrison:

Age: 47 Sex: Male DOB: 11/13/1962

He turned the page in order to skip the rest of the basic information and read. The first set of handwriting was knew, probably a man's, and sloppy. Stating when the man had been admitted and what crimes. A sexual sadist, capturing girls between the ages of 16 and 21, holding them captive, torture and rape them, and, after three nights, kill them. He'd been responsible for 15 deaths. Was granted the insanity plea and sentenced to Havensall Hospital for the Criminally Insane. This doctor's opinion was Fueller needed close, attentive medical care in order to be rehabilitated. High hopes for being released at parole hearing.

Then the handwriting changed, which happened when doctors left or retired or passed away. Reid knew this writing immediately.

Dr. Parker was on a different side of the fence with George Harrison Fueller. She believed there was no hope for rehabilitation. Fueller was a dangerous man and, if released, would return directly to hurting and killing women. Six months ago, in order to prepare for the hearing, the head doctor at Havensall wanted to transfer Fueller to a minimum security hospital or even a halfway house, but she convinced them it wasn't a wise idea.

Reid flipped the page where the prescription history was logged. He'd had a drastic change in meds over the last few months, but he couldn't find a reason why. There had to be logged information for it… which meant there was something missing from this folder.

With the sound the door opening again, Reid quickly closed the file shut and shoved it under the heap of papers and notes. He hoped she didn't have in tuned profiling skills and notice the difference.

"You look tired," she said, taking a seat in her usual arm chair, perpendicular to him, and set her unopened Diet Pepsi down. She grabbed her glasses from the table and slid them on, letting them nestle on the bridge of her nose, giving the aura of a sexy librarian. Reid couldn't take his eyes off her.

"I could say the same about you. At least I have an excuse."

"I have an excuse, too," she said, not taking her eyes from organizing the notes she was managing in order to get started. "What's yours?"

"We flew back from Portland, Maine early this morning. I didn't get home until about 2 a.m."

She remained absent minded through their casual conversation, never once glancing at him. "Tough case?"

"It's always tough when it involves kids." He said. "It was a… pedophilia case."

At that, she stopped herself and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "That's awful. How can anyone hurt a child like that?"

"You sound like a mother," Reid said. He knew she wasn't married, since her ring finger had always been bare. "Do you have children?"

"No," she said, shaking her head, looking back at the work. "But I'm told I'd be a natural. I have a lot of… motherly qualities, I guess. I don't know how that happened; my mother isn't exactly a role model in that department."

So that's where the issues began. "I suspected that."

"What do you mean?" she asked, curiosity shining in brown eyes as they made contact with his.

"Women who express a cold personality, especially to strangers, usually have deep rooted issues with their mothers. It's seen a lot in professional women. They usually focus more on careers than marriage and children of their own."

She sat with her mouth open now, shocked. "Are you… did you just say I was cold?"

"No!" Reid exclaimed, unbelieving he'd just said that. "I mean, I didn't intend to say that. You're… you're not cold, I just meant hypothetically, women tend to fall into that."

"Okay, then. Hypothetically, you think I'm an unfeeling person."

"No, I didn't say that. I didn't even mean that."

"You think that because a woman doesn't marry the first jackass who walks into her life or decides she wants a better life than every single woman still stuck in the town she grew up in doesn't care or feel for anything? You think that just because you're handsome, a girl should be falling all over herself to impress you!?"

"Riley, I didn't mean that at all! Not any of it-"

"Don't you dare call me Riley!" she yelled. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, the anxious silence filling the room. She patted the papers to settle neatly in her hands. "Dr. Reid, I think you need to leave."

He was stunned. He had slipped up before and said things he had really meant that should have been kept quiet. Often it happened to cops and suspects while working on cases. But he hadn't meant Dr. Parker was cold.

Especially now when he saw the tears glistening in her eyes.

"You need to leave. Now." She said again, trying to stay calm.

Reid nodded. He wanted to say he was sorry, especially seeing how much he had hurt her. He wanted to help her with whatever problem the Fueller file was apart of. He wanted to tell her how crazy he was becoming over her.

But instead, he stood, walked to the door, and left.

Riley threw her glasses onto the coffee table, the papers she laid neatly on the others. The tears didn't spill out as soon as the doors closed. Riley walked to her desk for a tissue and dabbed them dry. Alone, she managed to compose herself without any hysterics. After about fifteen minutes, certain she was completely collected, she sat back in her chair. It really wasn't Dr. Reid's fault he felt that way, she hadn't exactly been herself lately, not with everything about to pile down on her. She had been treating him poorly since he'd first knocked her down at the restaurant.

She smiled, remembering. Had she not been so stressed that day, she probably would have thought it was funny. Riley would apologize next week and explain everything to him then. Who knew, maybe the intelligent (and handsome) Dr. Reid had a point.

"He's not _that_ handsome." She said to herself, forcing her feelings away. The same feelings she'd been forcing away since the sessions began.


	5. Spencer

He hadn't had a full night sleep in a few nights and tonight, he was getting none at all. Glancing at his digital clock, Reid saw it was already 6:20 a.m. He had to be up in another forty minutes. He should at least close his eyes, but if he did all would see would be her.

"I can't believe I said that," he said to himself. How could he have hurt her like? He wondered how long she had cried alone in her office after he left. He wouldn't be surprised if she went directly to transferring him to another doctor. It's what he deserved anyway.

"I'm so sorry, Riley," he whispered, despite the fact that he wasn't allowed to call her that.

And that file stuck in his brain, too. George Harrison Fueller. He remembered learning about that case. The murders were suspected to have started in the early 90s. Fueller had eluded the police until 1998, put on trial in 1999 and, just as the records had stated, sentenced to a mental home with ten years to be rehabilitated. Many experts believed it couldn't be done. He was suspected to be both a sociopath, schizophrenic, and have Asperger's, making him extremely smart, anxious, and narcissistic: a dangerous combination for a serial killer. He had been abused by his grandfather as a child, had been said by previous neighbors and family members to have harmed and killed several animals, and began acting out his sexual deviance in late adolescence.

He knew Dr. Parker had to be his doctor… and he knew it was just about time for his parole. That was probably why it was out. The book she had been looking for at his first appointment made sense, too. She needed to bone up for this hearing if she was going to keep him locked away, as her notes suggested she wanted.

He rolled over and stared at the clock. Maybe he should go to her office in the morning and apologize. Really apologize, which he should have done when he left. He couldn't believe how stupid he was being. IQ just didn't help when it came to problems with woman.

…………………………

But apologies had to wait. The team took a flight to Sacramento that morning to track down a team of unsubs killing college students over the last month. Hopefully, it would be routine and they would be back home within the next day or so.

Around Thursday afternoon, however, they were no closer to catching either the two killers than Monday morning and, with no new victims, the trail was going cold. While Hotch, Rossi, and Prentiss were out following what few leads Garcia had tracked down back in Quantico, Reid stood alone at the Sacramento P.D. break room, staring at the organized bulletin board of evidence, trying to piece things together.

It wasn't easy. He was still so distracted and the longer they spent here, the more his mind drifted. Reid wanted to be concerned about the case, but worrying about total strangers was difficult when your mind couldn't be pulled away from its own problems.

"Reid," Morgan said, walking in, a Styrofoam cup of coffee in his hand. "You alright man? You've been staring at that for about fifteen minutes. You got anything?"

"No," he said. "Sorry, I dazed off for a second."

"What is going on with you?" Morgan asked. "It's like you're not even here. You haven't been here for this entire case and I'm not the only one who's noticed either. If Hotch thinks you're too distracted or you're a liability-"

"Hotch already thinks I'm a liability." Reid snapped, turning back to the board. "If he didn't, he wouldn't have sent me to therapy."

"Is that what this is about?" He said, taking a seat.

Reid knew Morgan wasn't going to let this go. Maybe he could use a male companion to confide in. After all, Morgan knew more about women than he did. He took a deep breath, turned and took a seat at the table.

"Alright, you know I've been seeing Dr. Parker." He stated plainly. From the questioning look on Morgan's face, Reid quickly clarified. "Professionally. Professionally only, she's my therapist, that's all."

"Okay, what about her?"

"I don't know." He said. "I… we never got off on the right foot to begin with… I don't think I know how to handle this."

"What? Having feelings for someone you have a business relationship with?"

"I don't have feelings for her. She is a bit of a distraction, but that's only because I've never met anyone like her. When she does show her real self," he recalled nostalgically, thinking of the rare occasions she had acted more than just civil towards him, "she becomes this incredible human being. Someone I would imagine anyone would want to be around. Like last week, I actually made her laugh for a moment. And in that moment, she seemed just so open and care free." Once again, Morgan was smirking and laughing silently. Reid cut him off before he could make a comment. "Most of the time, though, we don't get along. I'm already insufferable with her because, well… I think this therapy is completely unnecessary. I've said that, though. And she…" He took a pause to think exactly what he wanted to say. "I'm not making any sense, am I?"

"No, but it's a refreshing new pace for you."

"I told her she was cold and unfeeling."

"Whoa," he exclaimed. "Why?"

"I didn't mean to. She mentioned… she mentioned something about her mother and I could tell she had deep rooted unresolved issues with her. I said because of issues like that, it's why some woman focus on their careers and become so callous and cruel. I didn't mean she was cruel."

"Reid, you never tell a woman she's cold or cruel, even if she is. I can't even believe someone would think she's mean. I haven't spent as much time with her as you have, but we had a nice talk during my evaluation."

"You talked with her? Like really talked?"

"Yeah. My evaluation only took about ten minutes so we spent the rest of hour just talking. She's really nice, and funny."

"She couldn't get away from me fast enough when I was done."

"No offense, kid, but you did cancel three times."

"I also knocked her into the dirt when I met her." He admitted. He left out staring at her for two hours. "And I… spit on her carpet."

"Oh, geez, Reid, what are you going to do next? Run over her cat?" Morgan asked. "I don't blame her for not liking you then. Look, if you feel guilty, then just apologize. But, I'm going to be honest, man. I'm know I'm going to sound like something out of Cosmo, but you are never going to feel comfortable about her or around her until you admit you have feelings for her.

"I don't have feelings for her." He urged, hoping saying it out loud with defiance would convince himself. He looked at the board again, and suddenly things began to click.

"Wait," he said, rushing to the board. "Call Emily, I know what we've been missing."

Morgan pulled out his cell phone as Reid worked with the board. All he had needed to do was clear his head.

…………………………

He had been working out what he was going to say since the plane ride Thursday evening. As Sunday grew closer, he felt the familiar, nervous sensation in his stomach grow with each passing hour, yet both Friday and Saturday seemed to drag.

At quarter to twelve, Reid arrived for his appointment and spoke with the receptionist. He still wasn't sure if, and to whom, Dr. Parker had turned his case over. He explained to the receptionist he was there for his appointment and she called on the phone.

"Alright," she said. "I'll be sure to tell him." She hung up the phone. Reid sat up anxiously. Tell him what?

"Dr. Parker is finishing up a meeting with Dr. Andrews. You can go in as soon as he's finished."

"So… I'm still Dr. Parker's patient?" he asked. Did his voice just crack?

"I already told you, you've been permanently reassigned to her. If you have a problem wit her, you need to take it up with your boss." She rolled her eyes and went back to her computer. Reid didn't bother to respond. He could feel his own heartbeat quicken in his chest. Dr. Andrews better not take too long.

About twenty minutes later, Dr. Andrews emerged and quickly left the waiting room, giving neither Reid nor the receptionist any recognition. Quickly, Reid rushed down the corridor to 202, not bothering to knock.

Startled, Dr. Parker jumped as he rushed in. "Sorry," Reid said.

"Dr. Reid," she said, and her voice sounded soft. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

"It's alright," he said. "Can we get started, please? There's something I need to say."

"Of course," she replied, taking her usual chair. He sat next to her on the couch. She cut him off just as he was about to speak. "Dr. Reid, I think I know what you want to say and… I want to tell you it's not necessary."

"What's not necessary?" he asked, alarmed.

"Well, I might be off track here, but… you were going to apologize for last week's remark, weren't you?"

She was good. "Yes,"

"Like I said, it's not necessary; I don't blame you for thinking that."

"Dr. Parker, I don't-"

"No, please, let me finish. I haven't been fair. Let me explain." She pulled out the Fueller file, but didn't open it. "I've been dealing with a difficult case that was handed to me about a year ago. It's getting… very stressful. This inmate is about to be put up for parole and… it's going to be difficult because I feel he's not ready to be released. I don't think he ever will be ready for release. He's a dangerous man and I, somehow, have to prove it. It's not an easy task and I don't have much to work with."

"That must be difficult." Reid expressed.

"Extremely," She agreed. "See… the day you, finally, got your evaluation done was the day the parole date was set. I had known the day was coming for almost a month, but that was the day it was official. It's two weeks from tomorrow, actually. I was already in a foul mood that day and… it was unprofessional of me, I admit, but it is the reason. Not that you showing up late and running into me was helpful, but you weren't to blame. I don't think we've been able to get over that first meeting, and with the date getting closer and my nerves getting the best of me, I think that's why I've been… so cold. I'm sorry."

This completely threw him off course. "I wasn't expecting this." He explained. "I thought you would have turned me to another doctor or something. I was set to come here and beg for forgiveness, I didn't anticipate to be accepting yours."

"Do you?" she asked.

Reid looked into her eyes, and he saw the sparkle of diamond dust he had seen on the first day. He wasn't sure why, but he reached out his hand and took hers. "Of course I do." He said. "I don't think you're cold. Really, I don't."

She smiled and he felt a warm, wonderful sensation when she squeezed his hand back. A second later, she let go. Reid didn't fight her. "Do you want to get out of here?"

"What?" She was full of surprises today.

"Well, it's Sunday afternoon, and I haven't eaten yet, so… why don't I take you out to lunch and we can have both this and last weeks' sessions then?"

Reid nodded. "I'd like that, Dr. Parker."

She muttered a laugh. "Dr. Reid, you can call me Riley."

"Well, Riley… you can call me Spencer."

She smiled. "Spencer," she repeated.

His ears rang with the sound of his first name; and Reid knew he was in love with her.


	6. Good Night

The air was dry and cold. They walked down the dark, deserted streets, the stars completely hidden in overcast. Their laughter was the only thing that could be heard for two blocks.

Lunch had turned into dinner; dinner had turned into a short walk; a short walk turned into a long walk home. The therapy session seemed more like two old friends getting reunited and before long, either could barely remember the professional boundaries they shared.

"It's going to snow soon," she said. "Maybe even tonight. I love the snow."

"Did it use to snow where come from?" he asked.

"Is that a subtle way of asking where I come from?" she asked, her all-knowing grin lit up the street lamp.

"Well, if you want to tell me, about your past…" He cleverly admitted.

She laughed at that. "Yes, it did snow in Richardville, New York. It's one of the few things I do miss about it." There was a silence, their walking slow and casual. They were in Reid's neighborhood, though he wasn't exactly sure how they'd gotten there. "It's a small town. The kind everyone dies famous in. And that's a good thing, if you're the high school quarter back or the homecoming queen…"

"But not for you." Reid had suspected something like this.

"No, not for the only child of the two town drunks." She exhaled deeply, her foggy breath illuminated in the orange glow. "My parents were… the rebel children of John Adams' High School. Most teenagers are rebels. My dad had a bike, my mother had a father she wanted to piss off. She ended up getting pregnant with me and threw her life away. At least that's what she always told me. And that's when she was sober.

"I had heard stories from teachers that… they remembered my parents when they were young. They were happy, always together. All I could remember was the fighting and the screaming. My father would come home every night – always drunk, sometimes high – and he and my mother would just get into it over nothing at all. I was caught in the middle."

"They hit you, too." Reid said. "Didn't they?"

"You're certainly good at your job, aren't you?" She said. "Yes. If I stayed out of the way, I didn't get hit very much. I think the mental abuse was a lot worse. I think that's why I wanted to become a psychiatrist. Not only so I could help people with haunting pasts, but… because I understand what it's like to have one. And to over come it.

"Anyway, I didn't want to screw up my life. I wanted to go to Harvard and become a doctor. Every other girl in that school wanted the same life they'd always known. There's nothing wrong with that, but I wanted so much more. I never wanted to hate my daughter the way my mother hated me. So I played soccer and joined Student Council and sang in the choir, made sure I always made High Honor Roll, graduated first in my class - thank you very much – and went to Harvard. It was hard to get in, but I was lucky. My dad had an old friend from high school who had a brother who went to Harvard. He tried really hard to get my dad clean, but it ruined their friendship. He didn't want my life to be ruined because of my parents' choices, so he helped me all he could. His brother gave me a great recommendation. I took pre-med. But only for two years."

"You dropped out?"

"No, I finished." She said, winking and biting her lip with superiority.

"How old are you anyway?"

"28." She said. "I'll be 29 right after Christmas."

"Wow, you're less than a year older than me. You're not a genius, too, are you?"

"No," she laughed. "Just an over-achiever. A big one."

They were soon laughing again and it took more than a moment to stop. "Anyway, after that, I went to Harvard Medical, racked up thousands in student loans, then started residency at Havensall Hospital for the Criminally Insane. After that, the F.B.I. picked me up, but I still have a couple of patients at Havensall I follow up on."

"You didn't go to the F.B.I. academy?"

"No. Which is why I'm not allowed to carry a gun." She pulled her coat closer to her as the wind blew. Reid's impulses got the better of him and he put his right arm around her to keep her warm.

At first, he thought he should pull away, but he remained wrapped around her. He could barely breathe being so close to her. It was the first time they had touched, really felt each other, and he thought his chest was going to explode.

Riley smiled and put her left around him in return. "How did you know this is what I needed?" she asked, snuggling close to him.

"You said yourself, I'm a good profiler."

"So, I've told you about me. I'm an over-achieving small town gal with a family history of alcoholism trying to make it in Big Bad Quantico. What about you?"

Hesitant, Reid didn't reveal much about his past. But, looking at Riley's big brown eyes, which were glistening up at him expectantly, he felt he should return the favor. Besides, Reid felt he could trust her, really trust.

From the beginning Reid started with his father walking out on him and his mother, delving into his mother's illness and the time they use to share when she read to him. They continued on down the next street as he difficultly explained some of the things he went through in high school.

"That's awful," she exclaimed, recounting his traumatic experience on the football field thanks to Alexa Lisbon and company.

"Yeah," he replied. "I only ever told that to my friend, Derek Morgan, until now."

"I hated the people who tortured other kids in school." She said, and Reid felt his chest get even tighter as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Though I wasn't much better."

"What do you mean?" Reid asked, suspicious.

"I never picked on anyone in school. I didn't have a lot of friends, either. But I never did much to stop the others from doing it. I always felt bad, but everyone knew my parents were abusive drunks, what with all the times I showed up with black eyes and bloody lips and bruises on my arms and legs." Her voice sounded softer like she was trying not to cry. "I just thought… if I got involved, they would turn on me and I didn't think I could handle that." Before he could respond, she retorted with, "Though, I never would have let anyone do what they did to you if I saw it happen, I swear to that."

Riley clutched him tighter, as if afraid he was about to pull away from him. Instead, an impulse took over his body, toeing the inappropriate line. His cheek resting against her, he turned and kissed the top of her forehead.

She didn't say anything to that. They kept walking in silence. Reid fought his instincts, but soon could resist no longer looking at the expression on her face.

Surprisingly, her eyes were closed and she had a small, contented smile. This was beyond wrong. A patient and his doctor were not supposed to fraternize like this. If Hotch or Rossi or anyone of higher authority saw them, they'd both be in trouble.

"Are we heading to your house?" she finally asked, her eyes still closed.

"Somehow we managed to head in that direction." He said. "How did you know that?"

"I'm following you," she replied. "And with my eyes shut, if I was leading the way, you wouldn't know where to go."

"You know, you might make a good profiler yourself."

"No way," Riley replied, her head finally popping up and her brown eyes met his hazel again. "That's definitely not a job for me. I don't think I could deal with that much death and pain and… no, not for me."

Unfortunately, Reid noticed his apartment building just a few feet away. Questions were starting to pop up in his mind. What did it mean when they got to the building? He couldn't just send her into the night by herself. He knew from experience, this wasn't a safe world.

"Well," he said. "That's my building."

Riley looked over and squeezed him again. "It's late anyway, I should be getting home."

"You can't go home in the dark like this."

"Hey, I might not be some big bag F.B.I. agent, Dr. Reid, but I can take of myself." She said with great audacity. She began pulling away from him and Reid knew he had to let go now. "But I had a really nice time with you, Spencer."

"I haven't had as good a time as this in years." He agreed, speaking only of the last five minutes alone with him wrapped in her arms and her in his.

"You don't get out much, do you?" she joked.

The distance between them barely let in a crack of air. Reid could feel her body heat so close to him and he wanted desperately to pull her close, to press her against him.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" he asked. "Because I can walk you home."

"No," she said. "I'll grab a cab at the corner, the next street over is a pretty busy one if I'm not mistaken. I'll be alright."

"Are you sure? I'll wait with you."

"No," she urged. "I'm a big girl, I write my own prescriptions and everything."

They both laughed quietly and whatever distance was between them before was practically non-existent.

"I'll see you next week, then." She stated, almost in a whisper.

"I look forward to it. I always do."

He was going to do it. He was going to kiss her. It would be quick, it would have to be quick so he didn't loose his nerve, but he would do it. He stared at her lips, so pink and perfect, and suspected she was staring at his. He slowly leaned in closer and readied himself to make his move just as a soft flake brushed his face.

Combing it aside, they both looked up at the sky as the icy white shavings flurried down. Riley smiled as the snow abounded around them, dancing in the gentle wind.

"I told you," she said, giggling. "It's beautiful."

Reid stared at her. She looked like an angel, with the flakes falling into her wavy black hair, partially pulled back by a dark brown barrette, her rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes lit up with a bright smile. "Yeah," he said. "Beautiful."

She continued lost in her winter trance. He could have stayed there and stared at her until he froze to death. Truly, he didn't feel the cold at all.

"Well," she said, catching his gaze again. "I should go."

"Goodnight," His nerve gone.

"Goodnight," she repeated, and leaned forward to kiss him on his cheek.

As she began to walk away, Reid called after her. "Call me when you get home, just so I know you're safe."

"I don't have your phone number." She turned and called back.

"It's behind your barrette." He explained.

Confused, Riley reached and looked astonished and a little scared as she pulled a thin business card out of her hair. After a moment, she smiled again, turned, and continued down the street. Reid watched her until she was around the corner, and then hurried inside to wait for a phone call.

A/N: I don't know about the rest of you, but I personally thought the 100th episode was phenomenal!


	7. Afterward

Despite their short phone conversation after her arrival home, Reid had no contact with Riley over the next six days. Of course, he had no reason to. That didn't stop him from long moments, staring at his phone in hopes that she'd call him. Her schedule, though a bit more stable than his, was very full during the week. Not to mention, she had that parole hearing she was so worried about. Reid wanted desperately to call her, just to check if she were okay, that she didn't need anyone to unload her burden to… but he couldn't work up his nerve. Wednesday, sitting at his desk, he thought about making up an emotional, personal problem of his own and needed his therapist to unburden on, after all that's what she'd been assigned to do, but that thought was quickly diminished in his own mind.

No one, not one person, would condone this. Their consorting from Sunday's walk alone was enough to transfer Reid to another psychiatrist at the Bureau. The best thing to do was to finish the next seven weeks as professionally as possible, get done with this mandatory treatment, and get on with his life and career.

But he could hardly work with their weekly sessions. What was he going to do when the time came, when he'd never see her? Maybe here and there when the B.A.U. came in contact with another office or a victim she was assigned to, but that was it. She would still be his doctor and in charge of his case, for as long as they both worked for the F.B.I. What was he going to do after seven weeks? Tell her he was in love with her and then quit? Or ask her to quit? The farther he looked down this tunnel, the darker it got and the more veiled the answers appeared.

He thought better on his feet. Reid decided to take a long trip to the break room and grab some coffee. He wished it was unreasonably strong coffee… no one but one made it that strong.

"Yes," J.J.'s voice sounded on her cell phone. "Yes, I understand. As soon as your case arrives, I will review and determine if our unit's assistance should intervene." There was a pause as she came in to grab herself a cup of coffee, politely pushing past Reid. "I understand it's a pressing matter, sir. I apologize for the delay. Alright, thank you." She hung up, looking annoyed. "Why is it I just spent two hours on the phone with the Santa Ana Police after being up all night with a sick Henry and you look worse than I do?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Reid said. "You always look beautiful."

She stopped, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said quickly. "Why… why do you ask?"

"Because usually you spit off some useless trivia about child's illnesses or phone conversations or the importance of sleep. Are you okay?"

"It's not really useless trivia, J.J., it's information that, since it's not used on a regular, common knowledge basis, we tend to consider it…" he took a deep breath. "No, I'm not okay."

"What's going on? Is something wrong with your mom?"

"No, nothing like that." He shook his head, leaning on the counter top. "Can I confide in you?"

J.J. gave a look as if it were so obvious, he needn't even ask.

"Can we go to your office?"

"Sure," she said, leading him out the door and through the bull pen. Morgan and Emily, busy talking in the bull pen, looked over curiously, casting a look at J.J. She didn't reveal anything. Once safe inside her office, she closed the door and Reid took a seat.

"So what's going on?" She asked, sitting behind her desk. "Is this about your therapy? We all know you're not too happy about it."

"It's actually not so bad, but… yeah, this is about my therapy." He paused, taking a sip. "I think I'm in love with my therapist."

There is no exact response written for a statement like that. Reid stared at his cup for a second before looking up for J.J.'s reaction. She looked unsure about his words, like she didn't want to say the wrong thing and upset or insult him.

"Reid… um… well, you probably know more about Transference than I do, but-"

"J.J., it's not Transference." He interrupted, and his tone took her by surprise. So soft and relaxed, meaning he had thought this through himself. "I was falling for her before I even knew who she was."

"Wait." J.J. said, "If you knew Dr. Parker personally before this, then you need to be reassigned. You could get in trouble for this; you and Hotch and-"

"I saw her in the window just before my evaluation. About five weeks ago." He began, and dove into his story. It was the first time he had recounted it out loud, the first anyone had heard it before. He continued on through the last five weeks, from spitting on her carpet to dreaming about her on the plane.

However, he thought it best to leave out their last meeting. He wasn't sure how she'd react to that.

"Wow," J.J. said as he finished.

"Do you still think its Transference?" he asked, knowing full well the answer. "Because, J.J., I've been over and over this in my mind. And a part of me wants that to be the answer. I know… I know so deeply I cannot be in love with her… but I am. I've tried so hard to convince myself that it's not real. I've tried to fool myself into thinking it's just an attraction, it's an infatuation… but I can't. You know, when I first met her, it wasn't so bad and then she showed up here and she just had this… I don't know, there was something… it drove me crazy. I have never acted like this over a girl… I can't even make it make sense to myself." He pushed his hair out of his face in frustration. "Every day it gets worse. I can't sleep without dreaming about her, I can't be awake without thinking about her. Everything reminds me of her and I find myself living for Sunday afternoons. I don't know what to do, in seven weeks; it's going to get worse."

The silence sat in the room like an unwanted odor until J.J. responded with "I wish I could tell you what to do."

"Thank you," he replied. "I appreciate your listening. I wish I could talk to someone professional about this, like-"

"A therapist?" She joked.

Reid smiled. "No," he answered. "I'd probably just end up falling in love with that one, too."

After a moment, they were both laughing. Reid could hear Riley's laughter in his head; just another point that no matter what he did, she, somehow, was there to distract her.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied, downing a bit more coffee.

"I wish there was some real advice I could give you. Just so you have an idea of what to do."

"I don't think it would help, anyway, J.J." he answered, standing up. "Mainly because… I don't know what I'm going to do. That's really what scares me."

About to leave, Reid opened the office door and heard, from behind him. "Reid, you're a smart kid. You don't want to do anything stupid. Promise me you'll think it through before you decide to take a big step with this."

Reid turned back to answer. "I will. And see, you knew what to say after all."

Leaving her with a smile, Reid went back to his desk.

…………………………

Riley sat with the Fueller notes in her lap. Her legs were crossed and she sat in a slouched position, like she'd been there awhile. She had a consult with Dr. Andrews in a few minutes to discuss a few patients of his and after that, she had patients of her own all day. She knew she should be getting prepared, the trial was in less than a week, yet instead, like a teenager, she sat with her cell phone in hand, hoping against hope it would ring.

"He's not going to call you," Riley said to herself, hoping maybe the phone might prove her wrong. She didn't know if he was away this week or not, anyway. It didn't matter, the last thing he'd be thinking about was his the woman responsible for his redundant, pointless psychiatric treatment.

Yet, she couldn't stop thinking about last Sunday night. Riley had never felt anything like that, walking in Dr. Reid's… Spencer. Walking in Spencer's arms, protected from the cold.

Taking a deep breath, her eyes remained on the phone. She had almost kissed him. If had remained still for another moment, she would have. But that first snowflake distracted them both enough to take away the chance. Riley had to admit… she was grateful for it.

How would it look, a doctor kissing her patient? Spencer would have been horrified, for one thing. Kissing him on the cheek alone was enough cause for questioning. Spencer could be taken away from her, and Sunday afternoons were becoming the highlight of her week. No one like Spencer had ever come into her life before… she knew that. From the moment he spewed his coffee all over her carpet.

Riley looked at the stain and smiled; she still hadn't bothered to get the mess clean. Not that she was ever a tidy perfectionist – her bedroom alone would uphold that.

What happened on Sunday night could not happen again. They both could lose their jobs. Riley, more importantly, could lose her license. She had worked too long and hard to do that. No, this all had to end. What was she going to do in seven weeks anyway? Transfer to another department? Quit the F.B.I.? Her mother had given up a future for a man. Her mother ended up an alcoholic in an abusive relationship and Riley had been the one to pay the price. Riley would resent her mother for that for the rest of both their lives. She couldn't risk doing that to her children… or to Spencer.

"You're better than her, though," Riley said out loud, though she didn't believe a word. Her eyes turned back to her phone.

"Knock knock," Dr. Andrews said, opening her door. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No," she said. "Just getting ready for a trial. I need a distraction." She set the papers aside and stuck her phone deep into her bag where she wouldn't be distracted by it. "Are those the patients you need consults on?"

"Yes. Their teenagers, and you're much better with child psychology than I am." He pulled out the first subject. "Miriam Webster, age seventeen. She was assigned to me after her rape case for counseling in order to get her to testify. I thought I was making progress with her, but she's falling back into depression. Second and third are Yvonne Gilmore and Leslie Hamilton," He held up the other two files, "are connected cases. Yvonne is 20, Leslie is 19. Both were held captive for three weeks by two brothers, the last pair of victims. Yvonne was almost dead when they found her. Yvonne can't seem to be able to speak. I had her writing for awhile, but she's cut off contact completely. Leslie still seems to think she's only seven years old. She keeps 'throwing tantrums' and I can't get any information out of her."

Riley looked over the files, glad to have something to distract her from Spencer. But it wasn't working. The more she thought of them as distractions, the less she was able to concentrate on them.

"I can't tell you what it means to me that you're helping me. With everything," Dr. Andrews said. Riley looked over and could feel herself blushing. He was smiling at her. Riley had to admit, he was handsome.

"I still owe you for taking that one case from me, don't I?"

Riley shuffled in her seat uncomfortably. It was more she owed him for keeping Spencer in her life, for however brief a time. This is beyond inappropriate, this was becoming obsession. Spencer should lock her up for being a stalker. "You don't owe me a thing," she said.

"Please let me take you out to dinner." He insisted. "My treat, I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

Dr. Andrews was handsome. And he was kind, and Riley did enjoy his company. She did have a rule that she didn't date people she worked with… it was more of a guideline than a rule, normally, as she looked over him, she'd consider it. Possible even say this.

But he wasn't Spencer. This was so wrong, he was her patient. She was his doctor. She couldn't have a relationship with him. Yet, it didn't matter… Spencer was all she wanted. Other times, she would agree with _If you can't be with the one you want, be with the one you're with_, but not this time.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Andrews, but… I just don't date people I work with."

It was a good enough excuse. She did feel bad as he smiled, the disappointment evident, but he still seemed perfectly nice about the whole thing.

"I understand." He said, as before. "If that's what you want, I completely understand. I don't hold any grudges."

"I'm sorry. Thank you for understanding."

"You're too wonderful a woman to not be understanding."

She blushed, turning her attention to Miriam Webster.

A/N: I'm sorry this one took a little longer; I've been laid up with a broken rib for the past week. Any, it's not as good as the last one (or the ones to come) but I hope you like it.


	8. Friend

Saturday was cold and snowy. The flakes were fat and wet, sticking to the streets and sidewalks all over town. It looked almost like a holiday card. Not many people would brave the Winter Wonderland, leaving the warmth of their own homes, but Spencer was going crazy locked up in his apartment. He had to walk and clear his head. Sunday would be there soon enough.

His first hit was the library, but there wasn't much to draw his attention there. As fast as he read, it was difficult to concentrate in the silence. So, checking a few pointless books out, he headed out into freezing conditions to some undetermined location.

There weren't many people on the streets, and Reid began thinking of the week before. The streets were all theirs: his and Riley's, and they had shared the first season's snow together. He should have kissed her… he shouldn't have _tried_ to kiss her. His mind was now pulling him in two different directions over the right and wrong. His only solace was that there was no possibility of Riley, Dr. Parker, reciprocating his emotions whatsoever.

Somehow, he found his way to a small coffee shop downtown. It wasn't too far from where he and Riley had been six days ago for lunch, but that astonishingly didn't cross his mind. The café didn't look busy, but not as frighteningly quiet as the library had been. Deciding his choices were either here or home, he walked inside, letting the smell of warm coffee and recent trends escape out the door.

"Just a medium coffee, please. Two sugars," Reid said to the "barista" at the counter, who quickly went to work on his order. She had streaks of pink in her hair and heavy lidded eyes. Reid never had the chance to become the rebel teen. By the time he reached his teenager years of mutiny, he already had a B.A. and two Masters. He paid for his insane overpriced coffee and went to search for a seat. His eyes found her almost immediately.

How someone could wear a skirt in this weather was beyond belief, but her usual outfit did not falter from pattern. There she was at the end of the bar. She had a brown low cut sweat on, which fit her curves nicely he noticed, and she was reading a book. It looked too small for a text book, but Reid was unable to tell.

Slowly, Reid took a seat at the farthest from her, trying to avoid being seen right away. At that point, he wasn't exactly sure he wanted her to know he was there. Reid took everything in about Riley, reaching with her delicate fingers to sip whatever liquid was in her cup.

He envied that book in her hands, it held her full attention. She seemed to absorb the words on the page like a Bounty paper towel soaking up spilled milk. Reid estimated she read at least 400 words per minute, she was abnormally fast. No where near his standards, but above the average English reader. But it was her face, more than anything. Her brown eyes glowed with intensity as her pupils danced from word to word. He had never seen someone so intense, so in love with a book. Riley was just as beautiful here as she had been, beaming up at the snow last week. Once again, Reid could sit there and stare at her forever.

How long he stared, he couldn't be sure. His coffee had turned cold and he hadn't even taken a sip. He could just slip out the door, go home, and see her tomorrow as planned. She'd never know he'd been there, watching her like she was a famous painting in the Louvre. But she was like a drug, and Reid knew what it was like to be addicted. He had to have another fix; he had to talk to her, if only for a moment.

Leaving his cold coffee behind, he walked along the bar slowly, as not to draw attention to himself. Getting closer, he saw the title of the book on the spine: The Shining.

"I bet you never look at hedge animals the same again." He said, causing Riley to jump. He smiled slightly as he sat down closer, leaving a seat between them. Her long brown winter coat resting on the middle chair.

"Good lord!" Riley exclaimed, clutching her chest. "Don't sneak up on a girl when she's reading Stephen King!"

Laughing, both from nerves of fear, she dog-eared her page and set her book aside. "Hi," she said through heavy breaths. "What brings you here?"

"Didn't want to spend another Saturday alone, so I went for a walk."

"A walk?" she asked. "In… this?"

"You're right. Maybe I'm not as smart as everyone thinks I am." He said, making her laugh again. "I just… saw you here and thought I'd say hello."

"Oh," she replied.

"So… hello!"

"Hello," Was it just him, or did she seem nervous, too? No, that was wishful thinking, most definitely.

"Out for the afternoon, too?" he asked.

"Well…" she began, grabbing the same brown envelopes he almost always saw her with. "I came out to try and do some work. You know, to concentrate. It's so hard to do that in my apartment. It's too quiet there. The quiet can be very distracting."

Reid stared at her, hoping his face wouldn't give away to the fact he was studying – and adoring – her every move. "So, I came here. I'd never been here before, but I've past by it many times. I tried focusing on the case, but… I don't know. Maybe I know it too much."

"Well…" Reid began, reaching for the file. "Maybe some fresh eyes would help."

"No," Riley said, pulling it back. "No, you're a patient; you're not supposed to see other patients' files."

"I'm also a profiler who deals with murders and psychopaths every day of his life. I also read 20,000 words a minute, have an eidetic memory-"

"Alright, Brianiac, we know you're special!" She slung the file at him playfully, like she wanted to be annoyed, but just couldn't. He opened it up and began reading, though he remembered every word.

"So, what is your approach for the trail? What are you going to try?"

"I…don't… know. I mean, I know, but…" the worry and anxiety was evident on her face. Reid never realized before then, she had that aura when he first saw her. It didn't make her any less beautiful, of course, but it backed up her story. "I just don't think it'll work. He's convinced everyone he's a decent human, that he's healthy, but I know the truth. I just don't know how to make them see it."

"Well, here's something I don't understand," he pointed out the page of prescription history. "His medication history is unnatural." He pointed out the abnormal change in meds along with the drastic dosage adjustments. "There's no reason or explanation about it, anywhere. Are you missing something?"

Quickly, Riley pulled the file from his hands. After staring at this for five weeks straight, she'd never noticed anything strange about Fueller's medication. She hadn't paid much attention to it, though, it was more the observed records of the case she'd been familiarizing herself with.

Confused, she read over the documentations three times before she spoke. "I never changed his medications." She said. "There is no reason for this, this can't be right."

"Well, didn't he have another doctor before you took over?" Reid asked.

"That was almost a year ago. His doctor asked me personally if I would take the case since he was retiring." She didn't want to admit that for the past year, she regretted the decision every single day since. "No one should have messed with his medication but me. Something's wrong. Something's definitely wrong."

"What about an orderly or a nurse? Maybe someone tried poisoning him."

"That makes sense, except for one thing." She tossed the papers on the counter, making complete eye contact with him again. "Why change the log? If they wanted to poison him, why keep the proof of it." Her hand went to cover her mouth and she sat thinking for awhile.

"Because…" and Reid hated to say this, but it was the most logical choice at the moment. "whoever did it wasn't intending to actually hurt with Fueller… but you."

Riley opened her mouth to protest, but stopped before a word could escape. She sat back, letting the idea sink in. "That makes sense. If they killed Fueller, I'd have to go before the review board and would know nothing about these prescriptions. And if someone above me at the F.B.I. or Havensall saw it, I'd be fired. Still, it doesn't explain who did it."

"Do you have any enemies? Anyone you work with."

"No, not anyone who'd actually want to get me in trouble. There are a few doctors who think I'm too young, that I haven't paid my dues to be where I'm at, but I can't help it. I worked hard to get here. It's the curse of the Over-Achiever." She added as a quick joke. "Of course, I'm preaching to the choir, aren't I?"

Reid didn't answer, though she was completely right. Riley closed the file and set it aside. "I'm so tired of looking at that thing. I just want this to be over and Fueller to be away for good. If you ask me, he needs a needle in his arm… but you can't execute someone who's supposedly mentally incompetent."

"Excuse me," the barista with the pink streaks said. "You've both been sitting here for over at least two hours, you need to order something else or you need to leave."

"Have I mentioned how much I hate these trendy coffee shops?" Riley said, not bothering to wait for the young girl to be out of earshot.

"What made you decide to come here today?" Reid asked.

"I don't know. Maybe my subconscious knew you were going to be here and led me inside." She smiled and bit her lip in a teasing way. Reid loved it when she did that. He couldn't be sure, and he didn't want to ask, but…

"Are you flirting with me?"

Shocked, Riley's mouth dropped open and she blushed as she looked away. It took a moment for her to gather her bearings again, but Reid was grateful the entire time, she was smiling.

"I've met some up-front men before, Spencer," she said, her cheeks still rosy from loss of composure, "but you certainly take the cake. That's the first time I've ever heard anything like that without it being a pick-up line."

Now Reid was embarrassed. For a moment, he thought he'd grab his coat and books and head home. But he stayed rooted to his spot, waiting for her laughter to fade away.

"You know, you're probably right, I might be teasing you a little. I'm sorry."

Reid looked over and could see the remorse on her face. He liked that she acted that way with him, at least she was comfortable. And the more time they spent, even during sessions, the more comfortable he grew with her.

"I'm not angry," he said. "I just… don't want to get us into trouble."

"Reid, there's no rule that says we can't be sociable outside the office." Riley stated. "We didn't plan on this. We ran into each other here and I had a consult on a case of mine with an agent who specializes in serial killers. That's all."

"Agent Hotchner or the Federal Psychiatric Board might not completely agree with that."

"Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!" She cried, and Reid couldn't help but smile. "And I know we have a medical relationship, but… I guess I'm starting to think of you more as… a friend."

His heart was soaring and pounding at the same time and Reid wanted nothing more than to hold her and kiss her and tell her exactly what she, in turn, meant to him.

"Can I take you to dinner, Friend?" he asked.

"I'd like that. Friend."

A/N: First of all, I completely made up the Federal Psychiatric Board, so you don't have to bother explaining it to me. R&R.


	9. Stay

A/N: Sorry this took so long. Finals kind of used up most of my time. But it's about twice as long as a normal chapter, so it was worth it! And thanks for such great reviews so far! Keep them coming! Enjoy!

Top of Form

"Okay, I've got you beat," Riley said, sitting up with determination. "There's no way you'll guess this on."

"I'm ready," Reid assured, sitting across from her in a booth at a diner two blocks down from the café.

"Which episode did Dr. McCoy say, 'I'm a doctor, not a tailor, damnit?'"

Reid sat back. Now this one, he really had to think. And across the table, Riley glowing with determination, biting her lip in triumph was driving him crazy, distracting him completely. His brain wasn't working. He had to have heard that, he couldn't let her win.

"Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo," Riley sang the theme to Jeopardy, making the process even more difficult.

"Alright," he said, throwing his hands up into the air. "You got me, I don't know that one. Which episode is it?"

"It was a trick a question, it was on an episode of SNL Star Trek parody from the 1970s. Dan Ankryod played McCoy."

"You cheated!" He cried.

"That's not cheating! You didn't say it had to be the official show!"

"Fine! If you can only win by cheating, then fine! The genius will let you win!"

"Don't do me any favors, little one!" She flicked a leftover French fry at him. "You're just sore because I know something you don't!"

"Believe it or not, I don't know everything!" Reid said, "Despite what my entire team, especially my best friend, tells me."

They were laughing and acting like a pair of teenagers. Reid had never been so carefree with someone before. He could never imagine being so open and lighthearted like this before today, nor around another person. Especially a woman. But Riley was special. Riley was one of a kind.

_Riley is still your therapist _his thoughts whispered. _Don't forget there's a line here. A line you are walking dangerously close to._

"It's not snowing as hard now," Riley said, glancing out the window. "It might not be as hard to travel."

"Yeah," Reid said, hiding his disappointment. "You probably want to get home anyway, you have work to do."

"No!" Riley cried, showing he had gotten the wrong idea. "No, I just meant… maybe we could go for another walk. I… love walking in the snow."

Reid barely forgot anything, but at the moment, he was forgetting how to breathe. Slowly he nodded. "Sure, that would be…"

"Perfection?" she asked, trying to finish his hanging sentence.

"I was going for nice, but perfection works."

She laughed again, losing Reid in the sound.

After paying, they stepped outside. The snowflakes were thick, going in and out of the street lamps as the descended to the earth. Quantico had turned into a winter tundra. Reid pulled his coat closer to him to protect the cold. All he wanted to do was move as quickly as possible and get somewhere warm. As they began their trek through the almost blizzard, he stole a glance at the girl he was lucky enough to be with. Though she looked cold, he could tell she was greatly enjoying the setting that surrounded them. No misery would be enough to pull him away from this.

They began down the streets, every few moments bumping arms with each other. Reid felt nervous at every touch. He wondered if she was expecting him to hold her again. He wanted to. He greatly wanted to, but knew they both were hanging on by a thin thread.

"It wasn't all bad, you know." She voiced, like she'd been reading Reid's thoughts.

"What?" He exclaimed, caught off guard, "What wasn't all bad?"

"I told you before; there are few things I liked about Richardville, like how it snowed every year. I mean… I wouldn't wish what I went through on anyone, but there was a time… when it wasn't too bad. You know, when you're a kid and you're still too young to realize that your life actually sucks."

"Really?" Reid asked.

"Yeah, I think that's another reason why I love winter. My dad and I use to play in it together, when I was really little. Before… things went bad. He lost his job and then my mom's drinking took a bad turn and that led him to drink and to drugs… but before that, he was a pretty okay guy. I think that's why I could never bring myself to hate him. He never really hit me; that was mostly my mother's department."

The continued in silence, Reid watching the fog escape from her lips every time she breathed.

"You know, in a very small way… you remind me of him." She said.

"Really?" Reid was caught off guard at that. Riley didn't know a deeper part from his past.

"Yes," she said. "Well… for one thing, you're different from most of the guys I meet. In a weird way, you're kind of a rebel. And you're smart like him, and you're easy to open up to once you get to know you…"

She trailed off. Reid could have just let it go; she would never have to know. But he wanted to be different with her. He didn't want to lie to her.

"And I have a drug problem." He said quickly.

Riley stopped in her tracks, grabbing his arm to make him stop. Reid was jerked back suddenly, but he expected this. He kept his eyes down at the newly fallen snow, afraid to catch her gaze.

"What?" she cried.

Reid didn't answer. She moved closer to him, trying to be sure what he said was true.

"Spencer… you have a drug problem?"

He nodded, unable to let any words escape through his throat.

"Why… we've spent all this time together and you've never told me?"

"It's one of the reasons the Bureau wanted me to go to therapy." He said quickly.

"Are you… I mean, do you still…"

"I've been sober for a long time." He said. "Over a year. I still go to meetings, especially when…"

"You have cravings," she finished.

Reid still wouldn't look at her. He couldn't see that disappointment, that horror on her face. The same one he had seen so many times, when his friends would find out about this. That he would make such a stupid decision.

"A genius can make stupid mistakes, too, you know." He said watching as the snow fell on his shoes.

"Did I say you were stupid?" she asked. "Look at me."

He was too afraid to, too ashamed. Riley was stubborn, though. She took a step closer to him, brushing his forehead with hers.

"Spencer, I said look at me."

Slowly, he lifted his eyes and met her big brown ones. And then he thought he might cry. They weren't filled with disapproval or fear or ridicule… it was the first time he ever saw reassurance and acceptance after revealing this.

He was going to kiss her. She was the closest she had ever been and he could feel her warm breath on his face. He inhaled the smell of her perfume and shampoo and a slight hint of nicotine. Her hand was still on his arm. He stared as her tongue absent-mindedly moistened her lips. The sight alone was almost enough to drive him over the edge and he desperately wanted to do that to them with his own tongue. He was going to do it. This time, he was.

"This is probably something we should discuss during your session, though." She said, backing away slowly. His eyes never left her lips as she pulled further out of reach. The moment was gone. Part of him hated himself for not going for it… while the other hated himself for wanting to. Again.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I don't know why, but it's easy to confide in you."

That made her smile. "Well, that's a good thing since it's my profession." She paused, glancing down at his chest for a moment while she swallowed… from nerves, maybe? Or maybe it was habit. Her eyes met with his again. "It's easy for me to talk to you, too."

"We should get somewhere warm before we freeze." Reid said. "It won't take long for frost bite to set in if we stand here much longer."

"Well, if you don't want to go home yet," she said. "We can always go to my place. It's not that far from here."

Reid didn't need any convincing. They continued down the street until they got to the busy intersection up ahead. They stood close to each other, waiting for the crosswalk to clear, trying to stay warm.

"These things always take longer when the walker is freezing." She exclaimed, pressing the signal button a few more times, her teeth chattering.

"Actually, that's not true. The cross walks work on the same timer all year round; it just feels longer because we become more comfortable in the cold. It's with the same method that you're always interrupted with something you hate when you're having fun, but it just seems more abundant because those are the times you remember most."

Riley laughed at that. "I know, I was kidding!" she exclaimed.

He should have realized that, suddenly embarrassed. "I… knew that. No, I did."

Now they were both laughing, Riley's gloved hands holding onto his arms to prevent losing her balance. In turn, Reid's hands found their way to her hips for extra support. She didn't seem to mind.

As their laughter died down, they found themselves in each other's arms, smiling, staring into each other's eyes. The snow fell around them like they were figurines in a snow globe.

Reid could never have guessed it would happen next. To his surprise, Riley reached up what little height distance there was and quickly pressed her lips to his, barely enough to make an impact. Just as quick as it happened, it was over and she pulled away.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, appalled at what she had done. "I don't know why I did that!"

"It's okay," Reid said, not really sure what had happened. He looked for a change of subject. "The light's changed."

They began across the walk, Riley keeping her distance from him. What was he doing? He should have pulled her to him and given her a real kiss, a kiss that said what she meant to him. But with this came a new question: Did she have feelings for him, too?

Despite her new respect of his personal space, Reid moved close once again. His hand found her hand and he continued with her to her apartment.  
……………………………

The rest of the walk didn't take long, even in the snow. They made it to Riley's building and trekked up the five flights to her floor.

"How do you manage this every day?" he asked, trying to catch his breath.

At the landing, she began digging through her bag for her keys. "You get use to it. Believe me, I can't wait until I can afford a place with an elevator, but… I've got loans to pay off before that dream comes true. Actually, I'm pretty lucky to be living here as it is."

Her door lead to the corner apartment and Riley lead him inside where it was dark and cold. Quickly, she flipped on the light to reveal a moderate amount of space. It was pretty average, similar to Reid's. He looked around her room, where books were stacked upon books on her book shelves. He moved to see the titles, expecting different psychology and medical books. To his surprise, they were all fiction. Some were fairly new, others were from classic writers like Dickens and Bronte, the complete works of Poe. And, he noticed, an up-to-date collection of Stephen King.

What wall space wasn't covered with shelves had a few more musical posters on them, mostly Webber, but a Sondheim was seen in a few places. These, too were an off white color. A small stereo sat on a table near the couch, nothing fancy.

"No television?" he asked.

"There's one in the bedroom," she called from the kitchen. "I don't watch it much, just when I can't sleep. Or if Conan O'Brien has a particularly intriguing guest." She finished, emerging back into the living room. "Now," she said. "I'm making coffee. I tried to make it about half as strong as usual. I don't really have the money to replace the carpet."

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" he asked.

She shook her head, trying not to laugh too hard. Reid stepped away from her, back to his examination of the books. She went over to stand with him. Intrigued, he picked up a copy of The Collector.

"I starting this collection when I was about eleven. Impressed?" she asked.

"Very," he replied. He remembered this book, from years ago, searching for The Fisher King. "I had to use this book once in order to find where a man was keeping an imprisoned girl."

"You're kidding? Appropriate choice, too. That's what this book's about. It's actually kind of creepy, the way he's obsessed with Miranda. Have you read it?"

Reid shook his head. "It wouldn't take long for you, though," she continued. She took the book from his hands and opening the pages. "I don't know how you do it. Even if I could read that fast, I wouldn't."

"What do you mean?" Reid inquired.

"I wouldn't have any time to enjoy the story." She said, looking up at him. "After a few chapters, I need time to mull over what I read, to try and figure out what's going to happen, then go back and see if I'm right."

"You know, I love to read," He said, "But I've never known anyone who loves it as much as you."

Surprisingly, they had managed to move as close as they had been on the street corner without holding each one another again. Smiling, Riley set the book back onto its shelf. "Thanks," she finally said. "Most men just think I'm too intellectual… or weird."

"You're not weird." Reid whispered. "You're amazing."

She blushed, locking eyes with him again. "I think the cold may have affected the circulation to your brain, Dr. Reid." She said.

"Why did you kiss me before?" he asked softly.

The smile left Riley's face. Her gaze went downward as she answered. "I already told you, I don't know." She swallowed again, and Reid knew this time it was from nerves. "I told you I was sorry."

"I'm not," he answered, putting his face closer to hers, his forehead brushing her bangs.

Again, she swallowed, her eyes still avoiding his. Her tongue absent-mindedly moistened her lips again. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"Riley," he whispered. Now it was his turn. "Look at me."

At first, she didn't respond. He stood, waiting her out, until finally here brown eyes met his hazel once more.

Reid did it before he lost his nerve. His hand found her cheek as he leaned down; his lips finally meeting hers; he kissed her softly. She uttered a gentle moan as she kissed him back, her own tender hands finding their way to his waist.

Their kiss broke and, before either even opened their eyes, another took its place. Her arms wound around his neck as his hands went to her hips, pulling her against him. She moaned again, just as contented, as their warm bodies pressed against each other. The intensity grew as Reid's tongue found its way into her mouth. Her response to that was sucking on it softly and Reid began to lose all train of thought. He didn't care who she was or what this would mean in the morning. He was in love with Riley and would take any consequence, as long as he got to have her.

Riley moaned again, but from discomfort. Quickly, she pulled away from him. "No," she said, catching her breath. "Spencer, you need to leave."

A little dazed, Reid looked at her questioningly. He didn't respond; he didn't know how. Simply, he waited for an explanation.

"Please, you need to leave."

Reid took a deep breath. "You want me to leave." He clarified. "Do you really want me to leave?"

"Of course I don't want you leave!" Riley exclaimed. "I want this as much as you do. I've wanted this for a long time."

"Me too," he added.

She caught his stare, surprised as well as overjoyed. "Really?" she asked.

He nodded, catching her lips again. Another kiss commenced, Riley's hands went to the back of his neck. Reid was just about to wrap her in his arms again when she pushed away.

"No, Spencer, no. We can't do this. You have to leave."

"Riley-" he began, trying to stay calm.

"No, I'm sorry, but this can't happen. It can't! I shouldn't have let it get this far! I can't take advantage of you." She backed away from him so he couldn't pull her into another kiss.

"You're not taking advantage of me. Riley, I know what I'm doing here." He tried moving closer, but that just pushed her farther away.

"It doesn't matter, it's still my responsibility. And that responsibility is telling me to stop this and saying you have to leave."

"What about you?" he asked. Reid wasn't giving her up without a fight. "This isn't what you want."

She wouldn't answer, backing away more. Reid kept moving after her. "Riley, if you want to me to go, I will. I won't hold anything against you."

Tears were glistening in her eyes now. "Please," she said. "Stop being a gentleman, you're making it harder to throw you out."

"That's a contradiction, Riley. If I wasn't a gentleman, you wouldn't be able to throw me out."

"Want a bet?" she asked.

"Riley," he urged, completely serious. "Tell me what you really want, because I don't think this is it. If you want me to leave, I will go. I will go and we'll move on and we'll never mention or think of this again. But if you want me to stay, you only have to say so. You're not forcing me to do anything."

Riley couldn't answer. She was still breathing deeply and Reid could see she was shaking. He wanted to reach for her, but knew she had to make the decision on her own. He couldn't convince her anymore at this point.

"Alright," he said, "I'll go."

Grabbing his coat and things, he headed for the door. Without bothering to look back or even say goodbye, he opened it and headed out into the hallway, not bothering to close it behind him. Beginning to accept defeat, Reid made his way to the stairs.

"Stay!" a voice cried from behind him.

He froze in his tracks, barely able to believe it. He turned and found Riley standing in the doorway, calling after him.

"Stay," she cried again. The tears were falling down her cheeks now. "Please stay."

Reid turned and took Riley in his arms again, moving back inside. He kissed her once again and she didn't dare fight him. He held her trembling body close to his own and knew he was shaking, too. Reid had never been with anyone like her before.

The front door closed and the heat began to rise. Riley had lost all inhibitions. Reid emitted his own moan of pleasure as her tongue now found its way into his mouth. She pushed his body away from hers just enough for her hands to start undoing each button on his dress shirt. She took her time with the process. Finally, she pushed the fabric off his shoulders and led her lips down his neck. He growled at the feel of them as she moved them along his chest. Her hands ran across his stomach sending a shudder through him.

Her mouth went back to his and after another kissed, she smiled into them. "You're lips are even softer than I imagined." She whispered.

Reid smiled as well. They kissed again, his hands going to her waist, untucking her blouse from the hem of her skirt. His hands slipped underneath and up her back, finding the clasp of her bra, spending more than a moment on unhooking it.

"I still haven't quite gotten the hang of these things," he said while her lips went to work on his ear.

"Neither have I and I've been wearing them for seventeen years."

"That doesn't exactly inspire me with a lot of confidence," he replied.

She laughed, pressing her nose into his cheek, and his laughter went along with her. As the hook finally came loose, he lifted her blouse over her head and started kissing her neck, leaving her black lace bra barely hanging on. As his lips went to her shoulder, she grabbed him by the waist of his pants, pulling him into her bedroom, and the door cut them off from the outside world.


	10. Past the Line

A/N: Just want to say a quick Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to everyone!

It was late, and the snow had long sense ceased falling. The only light in the room was the two glows of the digital clock and the street lamp through the window. In this neighborhood, it was a white light. Reid thought maybe he sounded like a hopeless romantic, but it reminded him of moonlight.

He hadn't gone to sleep yet. From the clock, he could see it was almost four. It would be morning soon. If only it were possible to make this night go on forever.

Riley was sleeping. She had fallen asleep a few hours ago; they had stayed awake for hours afterward talking, about nothing in particular. He could tell she was fading and watched her while she drifted away. She slept on her side, facing him, with one arm under her pillow, the other resting at her waist. Her quilt and sheets loosely draped just at her chest and her normally neatly pulled back black hair hung freely around her. She had a small, contented, relaxed smile on her face. Reid was too modest and too happy to think he had something to do with that.

Just like in the snowfall and just like at the café, he could have stayed there and watched her forever. He hadn't been with many women, but he didn't need to sleep with every woman in America to know something like this feeling didn't happen every day. How many incidences had he heard of involving two people sleeping together and ending it because what they thought was something special was due to initial infatuation and magnetism? Riley was different. He loved her even more, if that were possible. Riley was the one.

There were a million kinks to work out, but as long as they were here, during this night in this bed, nothing and no one outside the bedroom existed. Reid pulled himself closer to her, careful not to wake her. He wrapped his arm around her and softly kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Riley," he said softly.

"…I love you, too, Spencer." She mumbled, even quieter. She didn't even wake. Reid rested his lips on her forehead. Sleep finally caught up to him and he drifted along with her.

…………………………

The next morning, Reid awoke alone in Riley's apartment. There was no note or anything to indicate where she went, but he knew she worked on Sundays (seeing as how he had his sessions then) so she must have been at the office. When he awoke, it was almost ten. He had plenty of time to go back to his apartment to shower and change before his session.

Slowly, he pulled himself out of bed. He smiled, seeing as Riley had gathered his strewn clothes and set them neatly on top of her dresser. He pulled himself out of bed to gather them, searching through his pants for his cell phone. One message.

Groaning, Reid called his voicemail. Trying to multitask, he started to pull his cloths on at the same time. He waited while the recorded instructions led him to his new message and wasn't surprised when he heard J.J.'s voice on the line.

"Hey, Reid, it's J.J. Listen, I… I just wanted to check on you. I know you have your therapy session today. I've been thinking a lot about what you said… about (she seemed to be lower her voice now.) about, how you feel about… you know, Dr. Parker. (She paused, like she was trying to gather her thoughts.) I wanted to tell you this live, but… I'll just say it now. You know we all care about you. We don't want you to get hurt. I think you should at least think about transferring to another doctor. For your own good, Reid. I just don't want you to do anything you'll regret. I worry about you. And… I don't know if you talked about this at all with Morgan, but I think he would agree with me. Emily and Garcia, too, definitely. And Hotch would… have a field day. Listen I got to go, and I'll probably get cut off soon, so… just call me back later so I know you're okay and if you need to talk, you know I'm here. And… be careful."

Message ended. Reid hit the seven to delete it. The average person might have thought that was a bad sign.

Reid should have, too.

………………………………

Reid made it to the office just before twelve. He noticed Dr. Andrews leaving Riley's office just as the receptionist cleared him to go.

"I'd be careful," he said to Reid as they passed. "She's… she seems a little off her game today."

"Wow, I wonder why that is." Reid said, sounding sincere.

Reid made it to 202 and went in, not bothering to knock. Riley's back was to her. She seemed abnormally focused on the book shelves. Reid wanted to go over and wrap her in his arms and kiss her, but still felt nervous and awestruck as he saw her.

"Hey," he said, closing the door. "How early did you leave?"

"Dr. Reid," Riley said, not turning around. "I'm a little surprised you showed up today."

He wasn't expecting that. "A little formal, aren't you?"

Riley took a deep breath to gather herself, to try and remain professional, and turned around. "Spencer… I'm sorry. Shall we get started?"

"Are you okay?" he asked, moving closer to her. "You look pale."

She took another deep breath. "Well, I'm surprised you're not pale, considering we both flushed our careers down the toilet last night."

"Okay, I expected this," Reid said, coming closer to her. Thankfully, she didn't back away.

"Oh, did you? Well, I don't think it takes an F.B.I. profiler to figure that out, or to configure why!"

"Riley, it's okay." He said. He was close enough to hold her, but kept his arms at a good distance from her still. "No one knows about this. We just… we just need to figure out what we should do."

Riley nodded. "Well, I've already figured out what we should. And the best thing to do is… pretend it never happened."

Reid was completely thrown off. Honestly, he hadn't been expecting this. He remembered, she said she loved him. "Riley, you don't know what you're saying."

"You're not thinking clearly." Riley exclaimed. "Spencer," she lowered her voice, as if someone was listening at the door. "we had sex last night. Now, I know you have Ph.D.s, so you may not know about this, but when I was about 24, I recited a little thing called the Hippocratic Oath, which has a small, but important entry on not sleeping with your patients!"

"Riley, listen to me." He assured. She was about to walk away, but Reid instinctively grabbed her to stay and heed to him. "I agree, last night, we did go over the line-"

"Over the line!" Riley exclaimed. "Spencer, at this point, we are so far past the line… the line is a dot to us!"

"Riley, you're getting hysterical!" Reid explained.

"Uh huh, I've been hysterical since I woke up this morning and fully realized what we did!"

"Well, then if you were so upset about it, why didn't you wake me up and kick me out? Better yet, why not kick me out right afterward?"

She didn't have an answer for that. Instead, Riley fought her way free and went to stand behind her usual chair. Reid made no attempt to go after her, thinking maybe she needed space at the moment. "Spencer, we acted very immorally last night and… it can't ever happen again. We cannot see each other outside of this office anymore."

Everything was slipping out of his fingers so quickly. He barely had a grasp on it in the first place. "Riley… you said you loved me."

She was suddenly shocked. "I said no such thing."

"You did!" he cried, not caring if anyone outside heard. "This morning. I said it to you and you said it back. You were half asleep, but the mind's subconscious makes us do things we often don't even know about."

For a moment, it seemed difficult for her to get any words out. Finally, she spoke. "You're mistaken. Dr. Reid, I don't love you. I think you're suffering from a condition called Transference-"

"Don't even-" He interrupted. He was starting to get mad.

"It's very common for patients to feel they have fallen in love with their psychiatrists, but it's just because you're feeling vulnerable."

"Oh, all of a sudden this is due to a mental condition. Funny, you weren't so diagnostically minded last night."

"Spencer! I'm sorry." She yelled. "Look, I should never have brought you back last night. I was feeling lonely and I hadn't had sex in a long time and I took advantage of you. That's all that happened! That's it and if you think that it meant something more, than the F.B.I. is right in thinking that you need medical help."

"It was real!" Reid yelled. "Don't stand there and try to convince me I'm crazy! I know you. I know you better than you think I do. You don't let your feelings show, you're stubborn as hell, and last night you exposed a very defenseless part of yourself and now you're running scared."

"The only reason I'm running is because I don't want to lose my license over a mistake."

"I'm a mistake?" He asked.

"No, I didn't mean that. Spencer, you have to realize, this isn't what you think it is."

"I opened myself up to you! Last night alone I told you a part of my past I've never been comfortable telling anyone! You have no idea how hard that ways for me, but I did it because I trust you! Because I love you. I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you! Can you explain that!?"

"Spencer, my entire business is based on the attempt to help my patients open themselves up and find feelings that they've never been able to express before."

That was it. Silence rang in the room, and Spencer could take no more.

"Well, then, Dr. Parker, it must be said," he stated, walking over and opening the door. "You are very good at your job."

With that, he walked out and slammed the door. He walked past the receptionist and Dr. Andrews, but they didn't mention anything.

Alone now in her office, Riley stood alone. She felt like throwing up and her legs felt like Jell-O. Had she really just done that? Had she really just sent him away and said those things?

Slowly, she sat down in her chair. At first she thought he would walk back in, but that was complete denial. Reid never returned, and Riley was left alone in shock. How could she have done that?

No, she had decided this morning, on her drive to work through the plowed streets that this could go no further than last night. It would never work, it wasn't possible.

"_Riley… you said you loved me."_ The words echoed in her head.

She denied it, but she knew it was true. She couldn't remember it, but as a psychiatrist she knew that the subconscious mind often revealed hidden things, especially while someone was sleeping.

And she knew because… she knew. She loved him, she'd known for awhile. And last night she had spoken the truth. She had wanted it to happen for a long time. But, it could go no further. Their jobs were at stake as well as her license. If anyone found out…

…was he really worth all that?

A knock on the door sounded. Riley sat up expectantly and was saddened to see it was Dr. Andrews. "Hey," he said, looking concerned. "You okay?"

She nodded, knowing how close she was to losing it. "Yeah," she said. "Why… why do you ask?" Did he hear anything?

"Your 12 o'clock left pretty quickly, I just wanted-"

"He had a case, I told him we'd reschedule."

"Oh," he said, not sounding like he bought it. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," she said, faking a smiling. "I'm fine. I just… I was up late last night… preparing for tomorrow's trial. I'm just going to rest for a little bit."

"Okay," he said. "Let me know if you need anything."

"I will," she said quickly. Dr. Andrews smiled and left, closing the door.

Just as the door closed, the tears emerged and she completely lost it.


	11. Lowest Form of Scum on the Earth

A/N: I am so sorry it took so long to update. I'm in the middle of a vendetta with my old computer. Office is being impossible, so I had to upload this through notepad. It shouldn't be too confusing. (It's not like the House

fics with all the flashbacks, at least. LOL.) Enjoy!

"Morning," J.J. said to Reid as he entered the break room. Emily was standing with her. "How are you doing?"

"I'm outstanding," Reid said bitterly. He left it at that. Emily and J.J. glanced at each other, concerned. Reid quickly went to fix himself some coffee.

"Anyway," Emily said, continuing whatever conversation was occurring before Reid's interruption. "I really don't think I'm going to see him again. He's just… I don't know, there was just something… something didn't seem

right."

Reid didn't respond and J.J.'s attention was wavering towards him. "I'm sorry," she answered. "I know you really liked him."

"The feelings have evaporated. I just wish I hadn't already slept with him."

Both girls jumped as Reid slammed the sugar container on the counter. He still didn't turn around. The girls shared another worried look before Emily spoke up. "Um… are okay Reid?"

"I already told you, Emily," Reid said, not bothering to turn, "Would you like me to repeat myself?"

"I've just never… seen you so tense. It's not about your therapy, is it?"

"Emily, I don't recall my therapy being your business." he responded.

She nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry." Emily drew her attention back to J.J. "I'll see you in the conference room."

She left in a rush leaving the two alone. J.J. knew what was going on.

"Did you get my message?" she asked.

"It's none of your business either, so don't try." He replied.

"Okay," she said, understanding that he wanted it to be left alone. "But if you need someone to talk to-"

"-I don't!" And finally he whipped around. She was a little scared. Truly, J.J. didn't believe Reid had ever been quite so furious before.

"But if you do… you know where I am."

She went to the door, about to leave. "J.J." Reid said, staring at the floor.

"Yes?"

"…Thank you."

She smiled, but left him alone to whatever antagonistic issues he was facing.

…………………………

Monday morning arrived and Riley arrived at the court house. She had the strangest sensation that she was heading towards the gallows while waiting to go into the court room. She sipped her coffee, repeating her testimony

and reasoning over and over in her head.

She took a break from recalling her details to relax for a second. It would do no good, going in there stressed and tense, it would only make the process harder.

She sat down on the bench, her coffee cup in hand, and let her mind wonder. Looking down at her feet, she felt so out of place, wearing black heels. She missed her Mary Jane's, but the heels were more professional and

being taller might make her seem older. If she seemed older, they might trust her judgment better. She wondered if she would be taller than Spencer in these things…

And that brought her back to their episode the day before in her office. She couldn't believe she had broken his heart like that. Maybe if she had just had a little more time to think about it, she would have realized… no,

what was she saying? They couldn't be together. Not now, not ever.

Her mind went for a moment to Saturday night, giving her flashing images of the night they had shared. In her bed, until the wee hours of the morning. Riley had never been with a lot of guys, but she could tell the connection

with Spencer was something that didn't come around every day. Hell, she knew Spencer himself was not someone who came along every day. And she hadn't been lying; she hadn't had sex in a long time. Almost a year in

fact. Being with Spencer was completely worth the wait.

And then afterward, they had stayed up late talking. She couldn't remember exactly when she fell asleep, only that at one point, she was so tired she couldn't keep her eyes open and drifted off to the sound of his voice. And

then woke up and found her sleeping in his arms.

Then, she thought, you got out of bed, the spell broke, and you completely lost your mind. She took another sip of her coffee. "You burned that bridge now, and there's no going back. If you don't focus, you're going to

screw this up, too!"

The others were heading into the court room. She finished her coffee and tossed the cup away. She smoothed her business skirt (which was completely out of character for her as well, it barely moved when she walked) and

got her mind set. She may have lost Spencer, but she was not going to lose this trial.

…………………………

Four days later, stuck in freezing Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the B.A.U. was in the middle of a complicated case. Reid hadn't been so involved on a case in weeks and was finally happy to have full concentration on his work

again.

He knew, though it was the only distraction he could find. Whenever his mind wasn't centered on work, it went back to one person: Riley.

Her case had been last Monday. Today was Wednesday and he'd heard no word. A small part of him, though he hated to admit it, was hoping she'd realize what a mistake she made as soon as she won her case and come

running back to him, begging him to overlook her moment of insanity.

The basis of her reasons was completely logical, of course. They couldn't have a relationship, not as long as she had his files in her drawers. And they shouldn't have slept together, though he didn't regret a second of that

night. As much as it hurt, he did agree with her.

What he hated was the sham reasoning for things. Why he "thought" he was in love with her and she loved him back, why they had been together that night, and why he had opened up to her like that. He loved her… he still

loved her, but he wasn't sure if now he could ever forgive her.

"Reid," Rossi said, pulling him from his train of thought. "Can we talk?"

"…about what?" Reid asked.

"About why you snapped at Emily the other day."

She tattled on him. "Why is she concerned?"

"She's not, let's just go and have a little chat."

Reid felt like he was being pulled into the principal's office… well, this is what he thought being into the principal's office would feel like, anyway, had it ever happened.

Morgan was alone in the Milwaukee P.D. break room, reading some indiscernible magazine. He set it down as Rossi and Reid walked in and Rossi shut the door.

"What is this about?" Reid asked.

"Emily told Morgan about you're little spat at her the other day. Just casually, but Morgan told me. He's the one who's concerned."

"I don't really see why everyone needs to be involved in my business." Reid said, directly to Morgan.

Stepping forward, Reid was almost sure he was going to hit him. Instead, he spoke up. "Hey, Rossi… would you let me talk to him in private."

Rossi took a minute to respond. "Alright," he said. "Play nice, boys."

Rossi left them alone and Reid suddenly felt nervous. Rossi was one thing, but he would have to tell Morgan the truth.

"What's going on, man? I know you're having problems with the vivacious Dr. Parker, but that's no reason to take it out on us."

"Morgan, you don't know what you're talking about."

"Then why don't you fill me in?" he asked. "J.J. came to me; she said you confided in her."

"Are you kidding me, she told you!?" he exclaimed, still trying to keep his voice low. "I can't believe her."

"Reid, man, we're worried about you." Morgan explained. "Me and J.J. and Emily and Garcia-"

"Garcia knows, too!" Reid was furious. "What about Hotch? I doubt he knows other wise I'd be fired!"

"Hotch hasn't let on that he knows anything, and we haven't told him. Now come on. I know you have feelings for Dr. Parker. You admitted that, and that's what I told you to do. Maybe if Dr. Parker herself knew, she'd be

able to help you with them. She's being paid to help you with your problems; you might find the feelings go away if she knew."

"Oh she knows, Morgan," he said.

"Really? You told her?" He seemed skeptical.

"Yeah. Before and after I slept with her."

If there was ever a time Derek Morgan could remember being speechless before now, none came to mind. It took him more than a minute to wrap his mind around this, and before he could, Reid threw a retort at him.

"Let me say it for you. 'Wow, Reid, that was a stupid thing to do. I didn't think it was possible for you to actually do something this dumb and insane.' But I already understand all that, seeing as how I managed to get my

dignity destroyed and my heart broken in a less amount of time than it took to throw my career out the window."

With that, Reid rushed out of the break room and back to work. Before he could go after him, he answered a call from Garcia on news pertaining to the case.

…………………………

Late that evening, the team returned to Quantico victorious. It was almost nine by the time they reached they office. Paper work could be done in the morning. Everyone said their goodbyes and began heading out.

Reid, in spite of himself, actually felt a little calmer since he had blown up at Morgan. He was still completely disheartened, but he was starting to feel guilty for taking it out on the team.

"Emily," Reid said, catching up to her at the elevator.

She stopped, looking a little startled he had called her. "Yeah, Reid?"

"I… I just wanted to apologize for… yelling, I guess, at you Monday morning."

"Reid, I'm sorry. You're absolutely right; it was none of my business."

"I still shouldn't have acted like that. I'm just… I'm nursing a broken heart."

"Oh, Reid," she said, giving him a hug. "I'm sorry. If I'd have known-"

"It's not your fault." He said, hugging her back. It actually made him feel a little better, having some human contact. "I just don't know how to handle this. This isn't something I've ever read in a text book."

"That's true," she said, letting him go. "But listen, just so you know, whoever she is, if she doesn't want to be with you, then she's not worth it."

"You know who she is; I know you guys have been talking behind my back."

Emily looked a little guilty. "She's still not worth it." She turned to a whisper. "And believe me, she is definitely not worth your badge.

"You know what's really crazy…" he said as the doors opened and they climbed in to head downstairs. "Out of everything I know, and no matter how many people tell me that… I still can't figure out why that statement is

true… because I really thought she was."

He left Emily at the front door, though she had offered to drive him home. Instead, Reid decided to go for a casual walk. They parted ways and Reid started a journey through the city, heading no where in particular, at least

that's what he believed.

Over an hour later, he saw the library just a few blocks away. It would be closed by now, but he didn't feel like going there anyway. He headed in a different direction, and after awhile, he had a feeling he knew where his

legs and mind were taking him.

Sure enough, her apartment building sat on the corner just in the distance. The snow from the previous night had been salted and melted away from the streets and walk, like they had never existed. Maybe Saturday had

never happened at all.

Across the street, Reid leaned against another building, staring up at the two fifth floor windows on the corner and knew he was looking right in her bedroom. The light was on. She was home and still not in bed. Checking

his watch, which as usual sat over the sleeve of his sweater, it was just a little past eleven. He stood, continuing to stare, staying out of the white street light just in case she should look out the window. He must have been

crazy; the light was nothing like moonlight.

His heart seemed to stop as he saw her in the window, wearing pajama pants and a Harvard sweatshirt for bed. It wouldn't matter what she wore, she'd still be beautiful. Her hair was loose and looked freshly brush. He

couldn't be sure, but she looked like she'd been crying. Riley stood at the window closing the blinds, blocking everything from sight.

"Goodnight, my love," he whispered. This was beyond obsession as it was; staring at covered windows just because she was behind them was definitely over the top. He took one last glance and blew her a kiss, wishing he

were crawling into bed with her. Just to be near her and watch her sleep again.

Reid eventually made it to the other side of town and back to home. He was glad Riley had never been inside. It was one of the few places that didn't remind him of her.

He went into his bedroom and started to change for bed. Seeing the flashing light on his answering machine, he was surprised. Typically anyone who needed to contact him called his cell number. It was the number on his

business cards, pretty much only his team knew his home number, in case of emergencies. He hit the machine and listened, praying something wasn't wrong with his mother.

"…Spencer," His heart broke all over again at the sound of that voice. "It's… it's Riley. Listen, I know… I know you hate me right now. I hate myself, too. Believe it or not, I do. I… I tried to get your case turned over to

someone else, but… being this far into your treatment and your next evaluation… they wouldn't let me without a legitimate reason so… you need to be there on Sunday. We've already risked our jobs enough, so it wouldn't

be a smart decision to skip it, just because I'm the lowest form of scum on the earth… Anyway… I'll see you on Sunday."

He thought it was over and went to erase the message. Just before he hit the button, he heard. "Oh, and one more thing… I, um… I lost the trial on Monday. Fueller was let out this morning." The words were harder to get

out, and Reid knew she was crying. "Listen, I heard you might be getting back sometime today. It's just after eight now and I'm going to bed around eleven… so if don't hate me too much, could you call me back before

then… I just really need my best friend right now."

The message ended. Reid didn't erase it immediately. He sat on the edge of the bed. If he had come straight home… He picked up his phone to dial her cell phone, but stopped before he found her contact, setting the phone

back down. Riley was not the lowest form of scum on the earth. That role belonged to Spencer Reid.


	12. A Meeting with Agent Hotchner

"Dr. Parker will see you now." The receptionist said to Reid that Sunday afternoon. Reid had been dreading this moment for days, and now, walking down the corridor, he felt like he was an inmate heading to the execution chamber.

Reaching room 202, Reid at first went to knock, trying to be respectful. But, however much he wanted to see her, he was still angry. Today was going to go poorly. If he managed to be remotely civil to her, it would be a miracle.

He opened the door and saw her arranging a few books on her shelves. Reid watched her and – hating himself even more – realized how much he wanted her and loved her. He wanted so much to hate her.

She turned and was a little startled to see him there. She looked distraught, like she hadn't slept in a few nights, and her eyes were puffy, like she'd been crying for a few days. Reid slowly closed the door. They stood in the stillness, each waiting to see who would break the silent treatment.

Reid finally decided it should be him. "I'm sorry about Fueller."

That was the trigger. Tears poured from her eyes as she nodded. Despite himself, Reid rushed forward and took her in his arms. She cried into his shoulder for awhile, clutching him hard as if her life depended on it.

"I tried." She finally said. She lifted her head, resting her chin on his shoulder. "I did everything I could, and nothing I said made a difference. And do you want to know what their defense was? That I was too young! That I was just trying to prove myself." She pulled away so she could see his face while she expelled her anger and frustration over the matter, "And then, they brought up the medication. The changes that you pointed out and I had nothing to say about them. They said if I felt he was strong enough to have such low doses of such light meds, then obviously he was strong enough to be released back into society." She wiped her cheeks, which did no good because she just continued crying. "I knew if I told them I knew nothing about it, that would be cause to have my license taken from me."

"Yeah, because… you never do anything immoral like that." He retorted as a joke.

As soon as it was out of his mouth, he regretted it. Fortunately, it only caused her to laugh as more tears ran down. "You know, I'm crying here!"

He smiled and took her in his arms again. She held him in return. "Thank you," she said into his shoulder.

"You're welcome," he replied. Reid buried his nose into her hair and breathed deeply.

"Did you just smell my hair?" she asked, not looking up.

"No," he lied.

She pulled back and looked him directly in the eye. "Spencer… we can't."

"I know," he answered. "But I still love you, Riley."

She swallowed her nerves again, and said. "I'm sorry… I wish I felt the same way. You're wonderful and… you are the best friend I ever had, I just… I don't love you like that."

This time he didn't think she was lying.

"Eventually, you will get over this. It's just a crush."

He nodded, accepting the hurt.

…………………………

"Hey, kiddo," Garcia said coming over to Reid's desk a few mornings later.

"Hey," he said. "Did you need something?

"Just checking on you, handsome." She said with a small head tilt, meaning she was feeling sorry for him. Reid wished everyone could just let it go. The only two who didn't act that way were Rossi and Hotch, who remained thankfully out of the loop.

"I'm fine," he said. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You know Reid, if you both weren't arranged the way you are… I'm sure things would have turned out differently."

"No, they wouldn't." Reid replied, leaning back in his chair.

"I'm sure she would have realized-"

"No, Garcia… she told me that she doesn't love me. She likes me as a friend, that's all." He paused, "Well, at least there's no rule saying we can't be friends."

"Honey, you'll get over her. And someday you'll find someone who loves you and who you really want."

"Riley," Reid said.

"I know you want Riley, but-"

"No, Riley's here!" He pointed towards the door where, in fact, Riley Parker had just entered.

His first instinct told him she was here for Hotch, but instead she came right to his desk.

"Spencer," she said.

"Riley," he repeated, standing up. "Hi,"

They stood in silence, staring at each other. Riley looked scared, like she was being followed or something. In her arms was a brown file. Reid, being caught off guard, was unsure what to say.

"Oh, uh… you remember Penelope Garcia, right?"

"Nice to see you again, Dr. Parker," Garcia said, offering her hand.

"Likewise." She said, accepting the shake. She was looking very hassled and turned back to Reid. "Um, I need to talk to… um, Hotch and possibly Agent Rossi."

"Well, they're both in their offices right now. Would like me to go with you?"

She nodded, and Reid could tell she was not far from petrified, having seen this same demeanor the morning after.

"Okay, well, after you." He led her in the correct direction, sharing a worried glance with Garcia. She looked frightened and knew she was thinking the same as he. Did Hotch and Rossi know something?

"Hey, Hotch," Reid said, standing at the office door a moment later. "Dr. Parker is here to see you."

"About what?" he asked as Reid and Riley stepped in.

"I need to discuss something with you." She said before Reid could answer. "Is it possible to have S.S.A. Rossi in here as well?"

Hotch agreed and went off to find him. Reid would have been happy to do it himself, but he seemed to obey Riley. Reid began to wonder… was there more than a professional relationship there?

"What's going on?" Reid asked. "Do they know?"

"Keep your voice down," she said. "What, do you want your whole team to know about it?"

He didn't have the heart to tell her they already did. Reid went over to take a seat. He needed to sit down before his shaking legs made him collapse. His chest felt tight and painful; he hoped he wasn't having a panic attack.

Hotch returned a moment later with Rossi. Reclaiming his seat, Hotch sat at his desk and Rossi stood next to Riley.

"Agent Rossi, this Dr. Parker, she did the evaluations for the team a few months ago and she's been serving as Dr. Reid's psychiatrist since then."

"Oh, I see," he said. "Nice to meet you, doctor. I hope Dr. Reid hasn't sent you yourself to the looney bin."

She smiled nervously. "Not yet," she joked. "I wish I could be here on better circumstances, but I've come to ask for your team's help."

She opened the file on the desk and started to launch into the case of George Harrison Fueller. Reid felt his heart rate go back to normal and the chest pain recede. He was sure they had been outted. As he realized the world wasn't crashing down on him, he stood and joined the group at Hotch's desk.

No one interrupted her as she explained about Fueller and how he had become her patient. It was all leading up to something intense, Reid was sure.

"Now, not long after he was released, the police said a woman about 20 was last seen. She was reported missing the next morning and three days later, police found her body right next to route 619. The coroner's report," she pulled another long, extensive file from whence the other papers, "claims she'd been tortured for at least two days, possibly three. She was covered in electrical burns, cigarette burns, and small incisions all over her limbs caused by razor blades. She had signs of multiple rapes, probably over the entire three days and finally bled to death after having her throat slit. She'd been dead at least six hours before being found. It's the same MO that Fueller used on his victims. I believe this young girl died at his handy work. I need your team's help to catch him and put him away again."

Rossi and Hotch exchanged a long look. Riley quickly glanced at Reid and then back to the other two. Finally Hotch spoke up.

"Are there any other victims?" he asked.

Riley looked disheartened. "Not yet," she stated.

"Dr. Parker," Rossi said. "We… don't want to turn you away…"

"But you are," she said. Not realizing it, Reid placed a comforting hand on her arm.

"I'm sorry, Riley," Hotch said, standing up. "I would love to help you. I know you wouldn't waste our time intentionally. But I could never justify having the team work on this when there's no other evidence or victims. We don't even know if another murder will happen."

"So you're saying another innocent girl has to die before you'll even lift a finger? Is that what you're telling me, Aaron? How many women have to die before you'll attempt to stop him?"

"Riley," Reid hissed.

Rossi spoke up again. "Dr. Parker, you have to understand, we have thousands of cases sent to us and we can only work on the ones with the most pressing amount of danger. Dr. Reid will tell you that."

All three looked at Reid for a response. He wasn't really sure how to answer. He wanted to agree with Riley, but still remain faithful to his team. He took a deep breath, staring in Riley's eyes, before looking back to his superiors.

"Couldn't we just have everyone look over the file? Maybe have Garcia search for some things on this girl, see if there's a connection to Fueller or his past victims?"

Riley looked shocked he had actually sided with her. Hotch seemed annoyed while Rossi showed no emotion.

"No, Reid, we have another case we have to worry about. Riley, I'm sorry, we can't help you. You may leave your case with Agent Jareau and she'll decide when and if we should intervene."

Defeated, Riley gathered her papers. "Thank you for your time," she said quickly, rushing out the door. Reid went after her without a glance at the others.

"Riley," he called. She was moving extremely fast. "Riley, wait!"

He finally grabbed her arm and got her to stop right at the elevators. "Riley, I'm sorry."

"Another girl is going to die now and there's nothing I can do!" she yelled.

"I know," he said, grabbing her other arm so she had to listen to him. "You did what you could."

"I have to figure out how to stop him!"

"What are you going to do, hunt him down yourself? Stalk him until he strikes again?"

"No," she said. "I don't think I'd do well on a stake out. I get bored easily."

Reid smiled and she let a small one escape. He desperately wanted to kiss her, but doing it here would be suicide. He glanced over and saw Hotch watching them from his office door.

"You better go," he said, releasing his grasp on her. She stood, waiting for the elevator doors to open.

"Thanks for your help back there," she said as the doors opened. She stepped inside.

Reid reached his arm out to stop them from closing. "Hey, if you… if you want me to look over that stuff later…"

"… Are you going out of town?" she asked, hopeful.

Disheartened, he nodded. "Yeah, we're heading to Austin, I think."

She sighed, the hope was gone. "Well… let me know when you get back and we'll look at it then."

"Keep me posted." He said, stepping back to let the doors close.

"I've still got your number." She informed, and disappeared out of sight.


	13. Scotch and Kaluha

"Reid," Hotch put his hand in front of Reid to stop him from entering the conference room. "What's going on with you and Dr. Parker?"

He kept his voice low. The only other person interested in the conversation was Rossi. Reid tried to hide his anxiety and answer as coolly as possible.

"Why do you think there's something going on, Hotch?" he asked.

"Reid, if you and Dr. Parker cannot keep a professional relationship-"

"It's nothing like that. We just get along well." He took a deep breath, his brain working as quick as ever to come up with valid reasoning. "She can be very emotional sometimes and I just wanted to check and see if she were alright. I offered to take a look over the case, during my own time."

Hotch seemed to accept that. "She can get very passionate about things," he agreed. "I'm going to warn you, Reid. You leave that case alone. If the police want us to mediate, they will contact J.J., but otherwise, it's none of our business and it definitely is none of her business. And you don't need to get her hopes up that you'll be her hero, find this Fueller, and put him back in jail. Is that clear?"

_It was a mental home_, Reid thought, but stopped himself before he corrected him. "Yes, sir." He had one more question. "How do you know her so well, Hotch?"

"That's also none of your business, Reid." He said. He let him pass inside and J.J. commenced with the briefing.  
…………………………

"Good morning, Sam," Riley said as she headed to her office after leaving the B.A.U.

"Riley," Dr. Andrews said, catching her arm. "Where were you this morning?"

"I needed a consult with Aaron Hotchner over at the Behavior Analysis Unit. Why, was there something you needed?"

"I just wanted to discuss a patient with you. A patient of mine, of course. Another teenage girl, they can be the worse to deal with."

"I know, I was one at one point." She replied. "And I wouldn't wish that on my worse enemy. Well, maybe my worse enemy."

Dr. Andrews laughed, as he so often did at her jokes, and Riley couldn't help thinking if Reid also would have thought it was amusing. "Would you like to talk with me now?"

"No, I caught up with Dr. Redmond, he gave me some advice. I also wanted to ask you… are you sure you're okay?"

Riley could use someone to talk to, that was for sure. She wasn't certain, however, just how much she could trust this man. Would he turn her in for sleeping with a patient?

If he didn't, he'd be obstructing justice… or something like that, and he'd get in trouble along with her.

Instead, she cleared her throat and responded with. "Just… this guy I was seeing. I… really liked him, I just… I don't know. Things got serious and afterward, I knew it was better for everyone involved if we ended everything immediately. But… I guess I'm not taking it as well as I thought I would. Neither is he, and I can see how crushed he is every day."

"Every day?" Dr. Andrews asked. "But… if you see him every day… that would have to mean he works in the F.B.I., doesn't it."

Oh, crap. "Yes," she said, no point in denying it. "It does." At least he hadn't guessed the worst part.

"Oh, whatever happened to 'I don't date people I work with.'?" He asked.

"It's… more of a guideline than a rule, I guess." She said quickly. "You know, I have quite a few patients today and I'm… working on another case with the B.A.U." That was only a small lie.

"So, does that mean you're going to go off your guideline and finally go on a date with me?" he asked.

She knew that was coming. "Definitely not. Like I said, it is so hard for us to be around each other and…" Riley couldn't say she actually loved him. That was a Pandora's box just waiting to spill evil. "…that makes working on this case so much harder. I hope you understand."

"Hey, we won't be working in this office together forever." He said. "I can wait until then to give you a call."

"Well, if you think so," she replied, trying to joke with him. Dr. Andrews was getting more unbearable by the minute. She turned and headed into room 202. Alone at last. Of course, she would have to be careful around Dr. Andrews. At the rate she was going, she'd be looking for a new career by the end of the week.  
…………………………

On flight to Austin, the team sat while discussing the new case. Four teenage jocks from different high schools were reported missing and later found dead. Everyone began discussing possible traits this unsub could have. Well… most everyone.

That had been odd. Reid's eyes were fixed on Hotch intently. There was a sour feeling growing in his stomach and aching heat burning in his head. Riley was a little too friendly with him to be just colleagues. She had called him Aaron for goodness sake. Only when she had begun to get furious, but it was Aaron just the same. It had to be a name she was comfortable with to use it. Reid would never dream of calling Hotch by his first name, and he doubted most of the team wouldn't either.

His mind didn't often wonder, didn't often invent ideas or jump to conclusions, but his brain hadn't been working right, lately. It had been drifting for last six weeks or so… and it had completely gone off the deep end over a week ago.

_Of course it did_, he thought to himself. _You slept with your therapist._

He was wondering, though. Riley was very comfortable with Hotch. And she had no problem bringing him a case that morning. She hadn't even bothered to go through J.J. Riley knew J.J. was their liaison. Heck, she hadn't even bothered to ask Reid… although that was a bit more understandable.

What if this went deeper? What if, and really he was just thinking outside the box, she had told him she didn't love Reid and didn't want to be with Reid… because there was namely someone else she wanted. Namely…

"Reid?" Hotch asked, catching his gaze. "You don't have any questions on this case? This is all clear to you."

Reid gave him the most subtle of glares. "Crystal." He replied, giving a contemptible smile.

Rossi spoke next and the words turned to white noise. Reid continued staring at Hotch for a moment, and his attention was right back at Reid. If he thought he was going to take Riley away from him…

_Y__ou're jumping to conclusions_. He thought. But he knew what he saw. There was something there that equaled more than a social or professional relationship.

Finally, he turned and looked out the window. The more he thought, the more it seemed less incredible. After all, Riley was almost thirty and Hotch was divorced. And they seemed to know each other very well when seeing them together six weeks ago. At the time, there was nothing suspicious about it. Could that have been a smoke screen?

When the plane landed, everyone hurried off the plane. Once again, Hotch stopped him.

"Reid," he said. "Are you sure you're okay? Because I can't have you working on this if you're not focused. Are you focused?"

The longer he spent here, with him, the more Reid hated him. "I'm focused,"

"Are you sure?"

He flashed him another loathing smile with hate behind his eyes. "I'm sure."  
……………………………

A day passed and they had few leads to go on. Deciding to call it a night, the team headed out for a quick dinner. Reid wasn't much for company, but stuck it out to avoid suspicion. Afterward, they headed to the motel. All Reid wanted to do was be alone, climb into bed, and… not sleep.

Finally, alone at last, he closed his door and dropped his bags on the floor. He made an unusual bee line for the mini bar, deciding he wanted a drink. He knew he'd have to pay for it out of his pocket when they checked out. He didn't care.

He poured one small bottle of scotch into a glass slowly. The smell of the liquor unhurriedly wafted across the room. No ice or anything fancy, he set the empty bottle down and was just about to take a sip when his cell phone rang.

Groaning, he went to his bag to find it, expecting Morgan or, undesirably Hotch. Instead, only a number was shown; no name on the ID, but he recognized it as a Quantico area code. He hoped it was who he wanted it be.

"Hey," he said as he answered.

There was slight pause on the other end. "Why do you answer like that? Like you know it's me." Riley asked.

"Because it is you." He replied, taking a sip of his drink. "Where are you calling from?"

"My home. I'm in bed and I wanted to call you, but… my cell phone was in the other room and I'm already comfy."

"Oh," he said, still a bit caught off guard. "What are you wearing?" It came out before he could stop it.

"Dr. Reid, are you flirting with me?" she asked lightheartedly.

"No…" he stammered. "I don't know what I'm saying, I've been drinking."

She giggled at that. Reid's stomach did a somersault every time he heard that giggle. "You don't sound drunk."

"Well, I've only had one sip so far."

That made her laugh harder. He chuckled softly, listening to her. Listening to how beautiful it was. He kicked off his shoes and climbed onto his bed to relax while she calmed down.

"What are you drinking, anyway?" she asked, still with giggles in her throat.

"Scotch," he replied. "I hate the taste of the stuff. I probably won't finish it."

"Mix it with Kalùha; together, they taste just like Dr. Pepper."

"Thank you for the tip, I'll remember that." He replied. "You know, I'm lying in bed, talking to a pretty girl on the phone on a week night, I feel like a teenager. At least, how I think a teenage boy would feel. I never got the chance to experience it."

"I bet all the girls would have been fawning over you in high school if you were the same age." Riley said.

"I doubt that," Reid replied.

"Well, I certainly would have been fawning over you." She refuted.

They sat in silence for a moment. Reid felt flattered, but uncertain. This wasn't the way someone acted if she weren't interested in someone. They were approaching the door of unconcluded questions.

But, however badly Reid wanted answers, he didn't want to ruin this. It was like the way things were Saturday night, before the kiss. He never would regret that kiss, ever, or what happened after, but he wished they could go back to the few hours before. Just to relive it.

"So, I assume you called because you wanted to talk about Fueller and that new case you found?"

"Well, yeah…" she spoke slowly. "But I really don't want to anymore. We can talk about it when you come home."

"Okay," Reid said, miserably. He lost her already. "You probably want to go to bed anyway."

"Not really," she answered quickly. "Can we just talk? I mean… just casually, talk?"

He hated that he was in love with her. He hated that she didn't love him back. He hated that she might want to be with… him.

But, it didn't matter how she felt, though, or who she belonged to. Right now, she was his and he wasn't going to let her go any sooner than he had to. "Absolutely."


	14. Stalker

The next therapy session consisted of studying the victim's case. By the time Sunday arrived, another girl's body had been discovered, just a mile from the other one.

"You're sure it's Fueller?" Reid had asked.

She rolled her eyes, annoyed. "I think so." She stated through gritted teeth. "I don't knoooow know. That's what we're doing, trying to prove it. Why won't Hotch help me?"

"The process is a little more complicated than you'd expect." Reid replied, trying to ignore the sudden stab of jealousy at the mention of his name. He wanted to ask her how she knew him – and if anything was going on between them – but knew no good would come of it at the moment.

Continuing, Reid picked up the file on the first girl. "Do you still have sessions with Fueller?"

"His attorney got his case switched to someone else. He thought it would be best to start fresh with another doctor." She set her papers down and tossed her glasses on the table. "I need a break." She said, sounding exhausted. Leaning back in her chair, Riley crossed her legs and covered her tired eyes with her hand, blocking out the light. Reid looked up from his own studying to notice she'd taken off her shoes. His eyes ran down her long black nylon covered legs to her dangling foot. Reid flashed back for a moment to weeks ago, slowly stripping off similar looking stockings from those legs and then running his hands along them.

"Stop looking at me like that," she replied, her hand no longer obstructing her vision.

"How am I looking at you?" Reid asked quickly, locking eyes with her again.

"Like you're picturing me naked." She stated.

"I was not picturing you naked." He looked offended and Riley seemed suddenly embarrassed. "Well… I am now."

"Hey, I was just kidding!" she exclaimed, sitting up.

"It's pretty easy, too. I have edict memory; I can accurately picture it whenever I want."

She leaned over and smack his arm, but it didn't matter they were both laughing. Reid was beginning to wonder… why couldn't they just move beyond this barrier. He watched her laugh, adoring the sound that filled his ears. She seemed comfortable with him, and their night together… that was more than just sex. It was lust and desire… but it was more. He knew it… she had to know it.

The laughter died down. They sat with locked eyes for a microsecond that felt like an hour and Riley took the file from him. "It's almost 1 o'clock, why don't we call it a day."

"Well, if you don't have anything to do, do you want to-"

"I have some things I have to take care of for the week." She interrupted. "So, I'll keep you posted on this and, unless there is another victim, we'll meet next week."

Reid nodded. "Right." He said, standing up. Maybe he was angrier than he thought, but he mumbled a quick goodbye and left the office. Riley stared after the door. They were running out of time… in more ways than one. It wasn't fair to waste his session time looking over these cases nor was it fair to force him to sit with her every week to talk about his problems when he was in love with her. It was beyond dishonest, especially since-

"I'm not in love with him." She quickly cut herself off. Riley couldn't let herself admit it. She had to bury those feelings, for both their sakes, even if it meant they were unhappy forever.

Could she really do that?

"I have to." She repeated, covering her face with her hands to completely block the light.

She grabbed the file once again. She had to let Spencer go… she wasn't going to let Fueller go so easily.

…………………………

Reid didn't make it home until 4 o'clock. He waited outside the building for awhile, waiting to see if Riley would leave soon and he could follow her, maybe "accidentally" run into her when she went for dinner. Waiting a few minutes was a plan, waiting more than an hour was stalking, and so headed home.

He walked home, as he did almost everywhere in Quantico. Usually, he liked to walk. It would let him take in a world around him, much more so than one could while trying to control a car. He didn't have the best driving skills, either. That was no secret.

Tonight, however, as the sky began to turn purple and the light grow soft, Reid would have preferred to be in a car. He was taking the same path he and Riley had taken before. Tonight, now alone, he felt uneasy. The hairs began to stand on the back of his neck.

When he could take it no longer, Reid turned to look. No one was there. What did he expect to see, anyway? Some shadowy figure? This wasn't some 1940s noir film. There wouldn't be a set of unknown footprints in the snow behind him. There wasn't even any snow on the sidewalk. This morning's flurries had long ago been shoveled and salted.

Reid turned and continued home. Still, that eerie sensation sat in his stomach. For a moment, it felt like he was on the trail of an unsub… or the unsub was on his. He turned to look again. Still, the streets were deserted. He was about to call out, but decided against it. What predator would answer if he asked who was there? He looked around slowly. The neighborhood was calm. The windows of the homes glowed with light from the living rooms. A lot of them had been decorated in lights for Christmas. Reid had a sudden thought to the seen in A Christmas Story, when The Old Man stood across the street admiring his leg lamp of a major award. He chuckled at that, which calmed his nerves slightly. Taking a deep breath, he continued home.

His building was just another block and an intersection over. He noticed his feet were moving slightly faster than usual. Reid normally had no reason nor desire to use his gun, but today he was happy to have it on his side. Morgan had taught him it wasn't a bad idea for F.B.I. agents to carry a weapon pretty much everywhere… just in case.

He got inside his apartment and headed up to the second floor. He thought, once inside the building, the frightened feeling would go away. He wasn't so lucky. Quickly, he headed down around the corner to the end of the hall. His throat was going dry as he fumbled to find the right key to unlock the front door.

The sound of a floorboard squeak startled him. He dropped his keys and quickly grabbed his gun. Someone had followed him into the building. There wasn't much security here. The lock on the front doors was broken, letting people go in and out as they wished. There had been no reports of any intrusions or crimes taking place, so it wasn't too much of a concern.

Slowly, his breathing heavy and his gun poised in front of him, Reid went down the hall.

"Is there someone there?" Reid asked. No surprise, there was no answer. Nor was there another squeak or footstep to be heard. Maybe it had come from upstairs. Still, he had to be sure. "My name is Dr. Spencer Reid; I'm an agent with the F.B.I." His voice was uneven and his throat going dryer. "I have a gun. If someone is there, please say who you are and why you are here."

He heard steps again, but they were further away, like on the steps. Leaning against the wall, he prepared himself to turn the corner, hoping there wasn't some sadistic maniac trying to peer around the corner the same as him.

Reid swore he heard the stairwell door open and swung around, his gun poised in front of him. He jumped, shock washing over him as his eyes met the eyes of a young girl.

"What are you doing?" his neighbor asked, a laundry basket under her arm and a baby monitor in her empty hand.

"Sorry, Holly," he said to the twenty-something girl he lived across the hall from. "I, uh… I heard footsteps when I came in, I thought someone had followed me in."

"Be careful, kid, you'll shoot your eye out." She said, smiling.

"That's funny," Reid replied, putting his gun back in its holster, his breathing heavy now with relief. "I was just thinking of that movie." He only realized just how much sweat was on his forehead. Embarrassed, he tried to change the subject. "Can I help you with that?"

"Thanks," she said, handing him the basket, allowing her to pull out her keys. "I had just put the baby down and wanted to run and get my laundry so my husband has clean cloths for work tonight."

Reid barely listened. He was simply relieved there had been no danger.

Or had there been?

"You seem pretty stressed." She said as she unlocked the door. "I imagine working for the F.B.I. isn't exactly Disneyland."

"No, considering Disneyland is in Anaheim, California and the B.A.U. is here in Quantico, no. Plus, Disneyland was started by Walt Disney where as the F.B.I. was founded by J. Edgar Hoover."

"Right…" she replied, condescendingly. She opened the door enough to get herself and the basket in. "Well, thanks." She said, taking the laundry back from him and the baby monitor.

"You're welcome," he said, turning around and picking up his keys.

"You know, Spence, if you need anything, Mark and I are right across the hall. You just have to yell."

"Thanks, Holly, I appreciate that." He said with a smile. He listened to her close her door while picking out the right key. His hands were still shaking as he unlocked the door, thinking he'd talk to his super about that front door the first chance he got.

…………………………

Monday morning arrived all too early. Reid was in the break room, pouring abnormal amounts of sugar into his coffee in order to keep himself awake. The fear of the intruder had kept him awake for most of the night. He began to wonder… was it just from fear and his own atypical brain and imagination or had someone really been there?

"Morning," Morgan said, walking into the break room. "Want a little coffee with your sugar?"

He was too tired to respond, simply stirred his hot drink and took a sip. It would take effect soon enough.

"You look like a zombie, man." Morgan said. "What's going on?"

"I just had a rough night." He replied. "I couldn't sleep."

"Were you… alone?"

"Yes, Morgan, I was alone." He looked at him, indicating he was fully aware at what Morgan was insinuating. "Maybe that was my problem."

Morgan laughed lightly, pouring himself a cup. "You're starting to sound like me, kid. Oh, God, does that mean I'm going to start spitting out useless facts that no one cares about?"

"Hey, guys," J.J. said, walking in, also looking rather tired.

"Hey, J.J." Reid said, "What's up? Henry still sick?"

"No, he gave it to Will. I slept on the couch so I wouldn't catch it." She pushed back her hair. "I didn't fall asleep until 4 and since Henry likes to get up at 5… the joys of motherhood."

"How is Henry?" Reid asked, having not seen his godson in awhile. "Can he say Spencer yet?"

"He's close. It sounds more like 'Pencil' right now."

Morgan took another sip and added. "Reid was just saying he had a bad night sleep because he was alone. I think he's been hanging around me too much, he's starting to act like me."

"Yeah, before you know it, I'll be flirting with Garcia." Reid said with a smile.

"I'm sorry," Riley said, walking in. "Who exactly are you flirting with?"

J.J. and Morgan looked surprised and glanced at Reid for a reaction. He was rather surprised to see her there, but let himself gather composure before he said anything.

"… Doctor… Parker. What are you doing here?" he asked.

She opened her mouth to speak, looked at the two others in the room (both staring at her intently) and then back to Reid. "Dr. Reid, could I speak to you in private?"

"Yeah," he said. "Uh… J.J., do you mind if we use your office?"

"Yeah, sure," she replied. "The door's open."

Before anyone could make a comment, Reid grabbed Riley's hand and led her to privacy. Once inside, he closed the door quickly. He almost went to close the blinds, but decided it best to leave them open… more for his restraint so he wouldn't try anything.

"What's up?" Reid asked, moving closer to her. Now he saw it: the panic in her eyes.

"Um… did anything happen last night?" she asked.

That was weird. "Happen? What do you mean?"

"Well… I left the office at a little after five." She began. (_Damn_, he thought,_ if I'd only waited one more hour_.) "I went to get a bite to eat. The same diner that we ate at… do you remember?"

"Yeah," he replied, realizing his hands had both found holds on her arms. She didn't shake him away.

"I usually walk on the weekends to the office. Mainly because… gas prices are higher and… traffic is worse, especially on Sunday. The whole way to the diner I felt like someone was behind me. At first, I thought it were you…"

"It wasn't me." He stated plainly.

"No, I know that. You wouldn't try to scare me like that." From the look in her eyes, she knew she was sincere, and continued with her story. "Then, at the restaurant… I just felt like someone was watching me. Like someone's complete and utter attention was on me. It was so crowded; I couldn't tell if anyone was focused on me… I began to get really scared. I didn't want to leave. I didn't know if, whoever it was…" She hung her head; her eyes closed trying to hold back tears.

"Why didn't you call me?" he asked. "I would have come and got you. I would have taken you home."

"I was about to." She said, looking up. "In fact, I had my phone out, and I was debating whether to… when it rang. It was my colleague Dr. Andrews. He was originally supposed to be your shrink." She paused, taking a swallow. "He kind of has a crush on me… I hated to take advantage of him, but he wanted to go over a new patient with me… she's a teenager and I'm good with child psychology. I told him to meet me there. We talked… I still felt uncomfortable, so I asked him to walk me home."

Reid wanted to ask whether or not she slept with him… but what good would that have done? He already knew she didn't want to be with Reid, he already knew the possibility that she was interested in Hotchner. No good could come from that question.

"Anyway," she said, "I just… I wanted to know… you didn't feel like that last night, did you? You didn't think someone was following you… did you?"

Again, he wanted to tell her what happened, but still no good seemed evident with the outcome. She was scared enough. And if she stopped hunting Fueller, he would just continue his murders. He wanted to be her hero.

"No," he said. "Everything's fine."

"Okay," she whispered, relieved. She leaned down, resting her head on his chest as she allowed herself to settle. Reid wasn't so lucky. He was sure, she could feel his heart beat faster, her body so close to his again.

Taking a glance out of the opened blinds, Reid felt his stomach drop out. Hotch was standing in the bull pen and had spotted them.

"I think we better go," he said. "Before…"

"Yeah," she replied, standing up straight. Close again, Reid instinctively leaned closer to her, thankfully stopping himself before his lips met hers again. He forcefully pulled himself back. It had been so long since he kissed her, he was going crazy.

"Are you going out of town?" she asked.

"Maybe," he replied. "I'll call you later and let you know."

"Okay," she replied. It seemed for a moment, she was going to lean up and kiss his cheek, but stopped herself as well. "I'll talk to you then."

"See ya," he said as she left the office.

He stepped out, intending to watch her until she was gone, and felt his stomach contract as Hotch crossed her path. He whispered something to her and headed toward his office. Reid distinctly saw Riley's misshapen teeth form the word "shit" before following him and disappearing from sight.


	15. Time Off

About an hour later, the rest of the team had showed up and J.J. was getting things ready in the conference room. Reid kept glancing back anxiously, waiting for Riley to reappear. Oh, to be a fly on that wall during that conversation. Hotch had been sniffing after them for awhile and now Reid was worried he'd figured it out. Then again, you didn't have to be a genius to figure out they had been more than professional with each other. The worst part was trying to keep his jealousy from creeping out of its dark hole. He had already suspected something going on, or had been going on, between Riley Parker and Aaron Hotchner. It wasn't impossible. They were both single, but Hotch hadn't been for a long time. He and Haley had only been divorced two years. Plus, Riley was at least twenty years younger than he. It definitely wasn't unheard of, but it didn't seem like either person's style.

Finally, Hotch opened his door and allowed Riley to pass. Just before she was out of arms length, he grabbed her wrist to look at him again. Reid was – flabbergasted seemed the best word – at the small smile that appeared on Hotch's face. Riley returned it, turned and headed across the bull pen. Reid stood up to intersect her.

"Hey," he asked, glancing up at Hotch. "Are you okay? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," she said.

"What was… that about?" he asked, aware to Hotch was still watching them like a hawk.

"Nothing," she said quickly, looking away. "Listen, um… I have to get to work. I'll… I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, I mean… I'll call you later."

"Okay," she replied. Again, it seemed like she wanted to kiss him on the cheek, but Reid distinctly saw her lock eyes with Hotch. She looked back at Reid, smiled and quickly left the office. He watched until she was out of sight.

"Reid," Hotch called, pulling his attention. "Come on, let's get started."

He followed Hotch into the conference room where everyone else was already assembled. Surprised Hotch didn't pull him aside again, he took a seat and began (not) listening to the next case.

…………………………

Just before they were about to leave for the airport, Reid sat at his desk. He knew he should be getting ready to leave, but instead debated something over and over in his head. He really hated to leave Riley like this. She needed him, probably less than his mind was letting him believe, but she did. He couldn't just leave her like this. As much as these families in Tulsa needed the B.A.U., Riley needed him more.

Standing up, Reid went to Rossi's door. He figured Rossi would give him more of a break than Hotch would. And Rossi had pretty much just as much authority as Hotch. He help create the B.A.U. after all.

The door stood ajar and Reid knocked lightly. "Agent Rossi, can I… talk to you?"

Rossi looked up, surprised. "Sure, Reid, can it wait until we're on the plane?"

"Actually, that's what I want to talk about." He said, walking in and shutting the door. "Um… would it be alright if I… stayed behind on this one?"

"You mean work the case from here? With Garcia?" He asked.

"No, I mean… not work the case at all."

Rossi seemed a little surprised. "Reid, we need you, you're apart of this team."

"You guys have solved cases without me before." He stated.

"That's true." Rossi replied. "Are you having some sort of personal problem?"

"Kind of," he answered truthfully. "I don't think I'll figure it out in a few days, I just… don't think it's very fair to everyone else to work on a case when I'm not focused. Morgan's told me that before and… I'm starting to listen." He paused. "If you need me to go, I will, but… I would really just like to take break this time. I just need a few days."

Rossi nodded. "Well, it's alright with me, but I'm going to clear it with Hotch first."

"Great," Reid mumbled.

A few moments later, Reid was back at his desk. Everyone else was heading down to the cars. Rossi headed over to the elevators while Hotch went to confront Reid. He stood up as he approached.

"You're not coming, Reid?" he asked.

"I just need some time. To clear my head." Reid replied, trying to look valid.

Hotch nodded, then leaned in closer so only the two could hear the conversation. "If you're taking time off, you stay away from this office."

"Why would I come here if I'm taking time off?" Reid asked, sounding like a smartass teenager.

"Maybe if you're working with someone on another case that the B.A.U. isn't involved in."

"Hotch, I just need some time to myself, that's all."

"Fine," he answered. "But know this, Reid. If I find out you're working on that case with Dr. Parker, I'm going to fire you."

With that, Hotch turned and headed out with the rest. Reid was left alone in the bull pen. Only the gofers and interns were scurrying about. He knew Garcia would be in her office. Other than that, he was alone. He waited a moment to make sure no one returned. Quickly, he pulled out his phone.

"Reid?" Riley asked as she answered.

"Hey," he said, feeling butterflies like the last time they talked on the phone.

"So, where are you headed?"

"Well, I was hoping your office."

There was a silence. "What?" she asked.

"I took some time off. I thought we could use more than an hour to investigate Fueller."

There was another long silence. "You did that for me?" she asked, disbelieving.

"Well… yeah," he said. He left out the part about risking his job.

"Wow," she still sounded shocked. "What, uh… what are you doing now?"

"Well, I thought I'd drop my overnight bag off and then… maybe meet you for lunch?"

"I can't, I'm driving to Havensall this morning. I still have some patients there. Plus, I thought I'd check for some of the older files on Fueller. See if they're still in the basement."

"Okay, well… why don't I ask our lab tech if she'll do some research on Fueller for us. Maybe she can find something no one else did."

"I doubt that, she'd have to be pretty good to find anything like that."

"Trust me, she's more than 'pretty good'. She's beyond 'pretty good'."

He heard her laugh. "Okay, well then, why don't we meet at my place at around… seven?"

Reid smiled. "Sounds good."

"I'll see you then, Brianiac."

"I'll see you, Over-achiever."

She giggled. It was the first time he'd use that term on her and was glad it amused her. He listened until the line was dead and closed his phone. This could definitely be worth his job.

…………………………

Reid knocked on the door to Garcia's office. He hoped she wasn't talking to others via webcam, but he doubted they were even at the airport yet, let alone in the air. Still, he had to be safe. He also had to make sure he could trust her to cover for him. Reid could just ask her to do it and not tell her he wasn't allowed to be investigating this, but if Hotch asked – and he was sure Hotch would ask – she'd have to lie. He hated to make his friends lie but they had covered for him so far… why not now?

"Enter the mystical world of truth oh fortunate one!" she called from inside. Slowly, Reid walked inside, thankful she was working on her computer, not open to a webcam.

"Hey, Garcia… I need your help."

She looked over, surprised. "Reid. Why aren't you on your way to Tulsa?"

"I'm not going to be working the case with the others. I'm taking some time off."

"Oh," she said, still confused. "Then why are you still here?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Like a member of the Corleone family." She said with a smile.

"Who?" he asked.

"The Corleone family. It's the family from The Godfather? Don't tell me you've never seen The Godfather!"

"I've never – that's not the point, I need you to keep a secret and… I might need you to risk getting in trouble."

"Oh, it's what I live for!" she said. "Why all the deception?"

"It's probably best you don't know."

"It's probably best you tell me or I'm not doing it!" she replied.

Reid heaved a heavy breath, ran a hand through his hair and started to explain, indicating the entire ordeal with Riley and the Fueller case. He explained about Riley brining the case to Hotch and Rossi a week ago and the finding of a second victim.

"To top it off, Hotch is kind of suspicious about us and… he told me if I'm caught investigating this case with her, I'll be fired."

Garcia had suddenly gone serious. A very strange demeanor for her. "Honey… do you really think this is a good idea?"

Surprised, "What do you mean?"

"I mean… we all know how you feel about her. And… we all know you have a history with her beyond medical. You've already risked your job enough, is this really worth it? Do you really want to throw your career away just because some girl you think you're in love with suspects someone is a murderer? I mean, I know you said he was a serial killer, but… how do you know she's legitimate about this? How do you know she isn't blinded by prejudice or resentment?"

"Because I do, and it has nothing to do with me being in love with her." She gave him a disbelieving look. "Alright, it's not entirely because I'm in love with her. I know she's telling the truth. I've spent time with her, Garcia. I… I know what she's like. I mean, if she wanted to be a profiler, I think she'd greatly succeed at it."

"And what if you're wrong? What if she is just out to get this guy or… it turns out to be someone else."

"Garcia, I've studied the case. I'm almost positive it's the same guy."

"And what if it's not?"

He paused, thinking. "Then at least she knows she wasn't alone. Look, if you don't want to help me, I understand, just don't tell the others, okay?"

"No, I'll help, sweetie." She said, reaching out her hand to pat his comfortingly. "I'm not saying all this for the sake of your career; I say it for the sake of your heart."

"Thank you," he said. "I appreciate you, all of you, for looking out for me. I already know she doesn't feel the same way, I already know she probably feels that way for another man…"

"But?" Garcia said, knowing there was more.

"But…I love her so much, I don't care." He paused, swallowing in the same habit as Riley. "I just want her to be happy."

Garcia squeezed his hand once more. "Okay," she said. "I'm running simultaneous scans on information for the team on the Tulsa case. I'm waiting for them to log on, which shouldn't be too much longer, just FYI. What am I searching for?"

"Anything on a case or man pertaining to George Harrison Fueller. Unknown, hard to find, or sealed information would be best. Can you do that?"

"What are you, new here? I'll tell you the shoe size of his first babysitter if you want it." She said as her fingers began working their magic.


	16. I'm Sorry I Came

A/N: Okay, I wrote this awhile ago. I did some proof reading, but it's 1:30 in the morning, so forgive me if I missed anything. Nobody's perfect.

At five to seven, Reid arrived at Riley's apartment building. He was surprised to see Riley, sitting downstairs in the cold with a jacket on smoking a cigarette.

"Hey," she said with a smile as he approached.

"Six minutes," he said.

"I'm sorry?" she asked.

"Each cigarette takes six minutes off your life. That right there is six minutes less I get to spend with you."

"Ah, that's sweet," she said, taking another puff. "Trust me, though, if I didn't do this, I'd be indulging in worse addictions."

"Like?" Reid asked, sitting next to her.

"Like alcohol." She replied. "My parents were alcoholics. And when I was in college… for the first semester, I went to a couple of parties and I learned… I don't have great tolerance for alcohol. I started drinking… a lot." She flicked some ash into the fresh snow on the sidewalk. "And I also started smoking pot, stop looking at me." She hung her head a bit so as not to lock eyes with him. "It got to the point where I was drinking or getting high in the morning before my classes to kill the hangovers. Some over-achiever, huh?"

Reid didn't say a word. He waited for her to continue.

"Anyway, when my advisor said there was a chance I was going to fail some classes… actually all my classes, if I didn't shape up for my midterms, I would probably get thrown out. I was devastated. I had so few people in my life who believed in me, but even those few, I couldn't let them down. I had to quit, and it was so hard, but… I detoxed on my own, which was hard. Extremely hard, I thought I was going to die. Afterward, I started smoking to get my mind off what I really wanted to do." She took another puff and smiled. "This is thankfully legal. I know it's not a real excuse, it's a weakness, but it's all I have."

"That's why you didn't judge me when I told you I was addicted to Dilaudid?"

"It takes an addict to understand an addict, I think." She said, taking one last puff and flicking her butt out into the snow. "Anyway, I ordered food, it's waiting upstairs. So shall we head up?"

"Yes," he said, standing up, offering his hand to help her stand, which she accepted.

…………………………

Once up the flights of stairs, which Reid was unsure how a smoker was able to climb those flights every single day, they made it into Riley's apartment. He watched as Riley took off her winter coat. He was surprised he hadn't noticed before, but she was wearing jeans. As she hung up her coat, he noticed the black and gold jersey she was wearing. A few sizes too big, which hide her curves a bit to his disliking. Still, she looked cute.

"I don't think I've ever seen you in pants before." He admiring the way the denim fitted her.

"Stop looking at my butt." She said, looking back with a smile.

"I was not looking at your butt." He said truthfully. "It's covered by your football jersey."

Riley suddenly burst out laughing, she turned around, trying to talk while she continued her laughter. "It's a hockey jersey."

"Oh," he said, self-conscious. "Well, I didn't know, I don't know sports."

"Well, why do you think the Penguin is holding a hockey stick?" She asked, pointing to the front of her shirt.

"I didn't get a good look at the front. All I can see is the number on the back. What's 87 got to do with hockey?"

"Never mind," she said, still giggling. They made it to the kitchen where cartoons of Chinese food were waiting. "I pretty much got a variety of everything," she said, slowly opening a drawer. Slowly, she pulled out a fork. "Don't judge me."

Smiling, Reid reached over (purposely a little too close to her) to grab one for himself. "Don't judge me."

She smiled, grabbing the food to bring into the living room. "So," she asked as they sat down. "What did you find out?"

They spent the majority of the meal discussing anything new on Fueller either had discovered that day. Reid was pleased with the findings Garcia had helped him with. For instance, discovering Fueller had an older sister who had been treated by her father the same way all of Fueller's victims had been. Her death took place just prior to when the killings began and that possibly could have been the trigger.

"Did it say how she died exactly?" Riley asked.

"The police suspected murder, but could never pin it on anyone. DNA and trace evidence couldn't be extracted back then. Who knows what they missed."

"True," she said. "Did Fueller get along with his sister?"

"That, unfortunately, I don't know."

"Because he didn't have a good relationship with his mother. He's never opened up about his sister; I haven't seen her in any of the files, either. Her death could have been his trigger."

"Or, and I'm just brainstorming… she could have been his first victim." Riley looked at him in amazement. "Did you say Fueller's father committed suicide?"

"Yeah, I always thought that was when he started."

"It probably is. His father kills himself… Fueller then blames his sister, and decides to torture her the same way his father did… but takes it to the next level." He took a sip of his drink and set it back on the coffee table. "That's thin, though."

"It would explain why treatment hasn't had much of effect on him. We never focused on the target."

They continued discussing while they finished eating and then pulled out the files. Reid watched as Riley sat with her back against the arm of the sofa and her denim legs folded in front of her like a desktop, white socked feet posed right beside him. "The only thing I don't have an answer for… the medication. Why would someone wan to change that?"

"Why does that matter so much?" Reid asked, watching longingly as Riley inattentively moistened her lips with her tongue, driving him crazy as usual.

"Because, Spencer, that was a big reason why I lost. I couldn't explain the medication, and I certainly couldn't tell them I knew nothing about the changes. Whoever did this is behind getting him out." She looked up at Reid, an idea striking her. "Do you think Fueller had a partner?"

"I didn't see anything like that come up. Not in any of the records, ever. Even in his petty crimes."

She threw the file on the coffee table and crossed her arms. "I'm so tired of looking at that. I just want to give up."

"Why is it so important you stop this guy?" Reid asked.

"Why is it important?" She repeated. "I'll tell you why it's important… okay, I don't know why. I just… I can't just let him go. If you know evil is happening and if you don't try and stop it, you're just letting it happen again.

"But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty,  
to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security." He quoted. As soon as he finished, he doubted she'd understand it, let alone recognize it.

Riley smiled. "Right, but um… I'm not starting a government; I just want a psychopath put away. I'm the only one who can stop him."

"You know that quote?"

Laughing lightly. "I've seen National Treasure at least 100 times."

"What's National Treasure?" he asked.

She couldn't help but let another laugh escape. "It's a movie… about America and a secret plot. I'll have to show it to you sometime."

Once again, they joined in fits of laughter. Riley lifted up her socked foot and pushed him playfully. He grabbed her foot, holding a strong grip on her.

"Hey, let go," she whined. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just wondering if you're ticklish." he said slyly.

"No, Spencer, do not tickle my feet! No!" She screamed.

But denial just pushed his curiosity further, playing with the bottom of her foot. She started laughing harder and screaming, trying to pull herself from his grasp. He had managed to pull her from leaning on the arm to lying flat on her back. Soon, her other foot joined in to help free the other, but the plan backfired as Reid grabbed that one to.

"Okay, I surrender, let me go!" She screamed through her giggles. "I'm serious, stop!"

Reid stopped, his hands still holding her feet and pulled her legs apart. Both still laughing, he crawled between her legs up to her face and hovered over her. His ethics completely out of control, he leaned down and kissed her.

It was perfect. Her laughter quieted as she accepted his kiss, wrapping her arms around him, holding him closer to her. She didn't protest as his tongue asked for passage into her mouth.

The kiss broke and another took its place. She was slowly falling into his control. Reid's lips pulled from hers and he nestled his nose into the crook of her neck, inhaling the sweet smell of her perfume. His lips enveloped her soft skin and sucked her flesh. As he did, he reached down, grabbing her outer thigh in order to pull them closer. Riley emitted a moan from the feeling, running her fingers into his hair while biting her lip.

Riley's senses finally came to her, mumbling "No," removing her leg from him. "Spencer, no, we can't do this. Get off of me."

"What's wrong?" he asked, leaning back on his knees to give her the room she needed.

"You know perfectly well what's wrong!" she said, sitting up on her elbows. "We can't do this! You know that! If I had known you were going to try-"

"Riley, I didn't know I was going to try. I didn't plan this, I swear. It's just when I'm around you… you know I'm in love with you. You're so amazing."

"Spencer, I'm not amazing. Stop saying that."

"You are. Everything you do makes me want to be near you and… when I look at you… I mean, just look at you! You're beautiful!" He leaned again, his lips brushing hers again. "I can't help it."

"Well, you have to," she said, pulling away.

He leaned back again, his frustration creeping to the surface. "Maybe if I were Aaron Hotchner you wouldn't be pushing me away."

She seemed troubled by that. "Hotch? What the hell does he have to do with anything?"

"Nothing… just… I can tell you two have a history. I don't know if you dated him or you are dating him or just interested in each other. I saw the way he smiled at you this morning. And you called him Aaron the day you introduced the case to him. No one does that, except his ex-wife and his brother."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this. It's not like that with me and Aaron. Not at all!"

"There you go again! Don't tell me there's nothing there. Why else don't you want to be with me?"

"I am not having this conversation with you!" Riley exclaimed, trying to wiggle away from him. "Spencer, you're supposed to be a genius; I would have thought you at some point in your illustrious career would have learned about the danger of jumping to conclusions!"

"Why don't you just tell me how you know him? I can handle you being in love with someone else, you don't have to lie to me like I'm a child."

"Well, right now you're acting like a child! You're being ridiculous." She managed to pull away from him and stand up. "I think you should go."

"I'm not going until I get an answer." He said, standing up. "You said I was becoming your best friend, if that's true, why won't you tell me the truth?"

"It's personal." She stated.

"Oh, and telling me about your drug and drinking problems? You're right; those are in personal ads all the time! Is that how you met Hotchner or was he originally one of your patients, too?"

Like a bolt of lightening, Reid felt a sting on his face as Riley slapped his cheek. She looked guilty and scared right after, but before… Reid had never seen such anger on anyone's face. They both stood in silence, Reid unbelieving the words that had come out of his mouth.

The guilt left and the anger returned. She even seemed triumphant. "I think you should go."

Reid knew this was his fault entirely, but he wouldn't accept defeat. "I'm sorry I came." He said, quickly he grabbed his coat and things, slamming the door behind him.

He walked down the hall slowly, waiting for her to rush out the door and stop him.

She didn't.


	17. The Middle of the Night

Riley stood alone in the middle of her living room and realized she was shaking. It wasn't too late; she could rush out the door and stop him. She didn't want him to leave, especially not like this.

She rushed to the door and reached for the handle, but her mind stopped her. If she went in that hall… she knew what would happen. She would apologize and he'd come back in… and they'd make another mistake.

Her hand rested on the door, listening to her pounding heart. Tears were forming in her eyes as she latched the door. The moment had passed, he was certain to be gone, and this – everything they had – was over.

A distance away, Reid walked home. The entire way, there was the feeling he was being followed. But, he was so upset, he didn't care.

…………………………

Reid didn't show back up to the B.A.U. until the team returned on Friday. He was at his desk when Morgan and Emily walked in. He stood to greet them, surprisingly eager to hear about the events in Tulsa.

"We really could have used you Reid," Morgan said, sitting down at his own station. "I kept waiting for you to burst in with some great spontaneous answer none of us would have even thought of."

"It's nice to know I'm needed around here."

"What did you do while we were gone?" Emily asked. Both she and Morgan waited, wondering if the answer would be good news.

"Just dealt with a few things that… really were never worth my time." He said bitterly.

"Oh, so you… you didn't talk to Dr. You-Know-Who at all?" Morgan asked, amazed.

"No, I did." He answered, sitting back down. Morgan and Emily exchanged a look of anxiety, neither choosing to respond.

Hotch, Rossi, and J.J. made it in a few moments later. J.J. gave Reid a quick hug of greeting before heading to her office. Hotch pulled Reid aside.

"I spoke to Garcia after our case was finished, Reid." He said.

"Really?" Reid asked. "I don't really know how that concerns me Hotch."

"Reid, I was going to apologize for not trusting you. She said you came in after we left just to talk for awhile, but other than that she had no contact with you the rest of the week. I at least know you kept your promise. You didn't work on that case with Dr. Parker."

"I can honestly say, I haven't seen her since Monday. Is that good enough for you?"

He didn't bother to keep his voice as low as Hotch's and was aware that those around them were listening in. Some didn't even bother to hide their eavesdropping. Hotch was looking furious. Morgan instinctively stood up, as if he'd need to come between the boss and the skinny kid staring death blows at each other.

"She's all yours, by the way." Reid blurted out.

Hotch looked confused. "What?"

Reid didn't clarify. He gave one more glare of disgust and headed to the break room. Morgan went after him.

"What was that about?" Emily asked.

"You better keep an eye on Reid. He's going to end up choking if he keeps putting his foot in his foot in his mouth."

Emily nodded, following Morgan.

"Reid, what is going on with you?" Morgan asked, walking in. "We're not even back ten minutes, you are barely back on the clock and you've given Hotch enough motive to kick you to curb."

He had nothing to say. Reid began pouring a cup of coffee for himself, acting as if Morgan wasn't there. In a moment, Emily walked in.

Morgan continued. "Hotch looked ready to kill you, kid, I'm serious. And the way you're going, I'm about ready to let him. I know you're upset about Riley, but don't take it out on him or any of us."

"Hey, guys," J.J. said, interrupting. "Um… you better get in here."

Curious, the three followed J.J. from the break room over to the conference room were Hotch and Rossi had already arrived. She had the T.V. turned on to a local news station.

The reporter began discussing two young girls found side by side on Route 619 had been found an hour before. The two girls had been reported three days earlier and seemed to have no connection to each other, other than the fact their bodies were found together and appeared to have been killed the same way.

"The Quantico police have reported these girls are the third and fourth victims found within the last month or so. All were killed the same way. They turn up missing, then three days later are found dead with signs of torture and sexual abuse and their throats cut. Cause of death is bleeding out. They don't have any suspects yet. The police contacted me an hour before we got back." J.J. turned to Hotch. "They'd like us to intervene immediately."

"Alright," Hotch said, grabbing the case file. "I know you guys are tired, but we should get down there now. Reid, since you're the only who got a decent night sleep, why don't you start reading the case for the profile."

"I don't have to, Hotch." Reid said, looking at the file. "This is one that Riley brought to you. I know it inside and out."

Hotch looked amazed. "So you were working on the case this week."

A long silence ensued. Everyone watched the two men staring each other down. "Guys, is this really the time for this?" J.J. finally asked, more for Reid's sake.

There was no doubt Hotch was furious. "Everyone, get ready to go." They turned and headed towards the door. "Reid," he called before the young genius could escape.

For the first time, Reid looked at Hotch with fear, respecting him as his superior. "Yes, sir?" he asked, knowing he was in for it.

"The only reason I'm not firing you is because the P.D. wants us to intervene." He stated in a whisper, which seemed more terrifying to Reid than a yell. "Why did you defy me? You knew what would happened if I found out before now."

"I know, it was a mistake. I'm sorry." He said. "She needed my help, I couldn't just… it doesn't matter, I'm not going to be helping her anymore."

It seemed good enough for him. Reid suspected he was too tired to argue. "Get ready to go," he said, heading to walk out. "And Reid."

"Yes?" Reid asked, looking at him sincerely.

"Don't bring her in on this. She's already prejudice against the case. If it's Fueller, we'll find out and catch him, but we need to be sure."

"Yes, sir." Reid said, watching as Hotch left.

Reid held his phone, with no intention of calling Riley. It didn't hit him at first, but after a moment, it seemed odd that Hotch remembered Fueller's name.

…………………………

It was close to eleven that night. Reid had gotten home late. He stood in front of his bathroom sink, looking exhausted. His mind ran over the facts of the case. The only similarity the victims shared was their age range: 16 – 20. Other than that, the girls may never have met in their lives. Reid couldn't ignore it, though… it seemed to match Fueller's MO to a tee. If he were the killer, the longer they waited, the more girls he had a chance to kill.

Running warm water in his sink, Reid rinsed his face; an attempt to try and wash the stress away. He dabbed it dry with a towel, deciding he was ready for bed. Maybe he'd get a good night sleep, one that didn't involve dreams or thoughts of her. All he wanted was for her to mean nothing to him… the same way he meant to her.

Suddenly, the sound of a fist pounding on his door was heard, startling Reid. Who could be there at this time of night? He listened again, thinking of heading back into his bedroom to grab his gun.

The pounding sounded again, longer and faster this time. "Spencer!" a woman's voice cried. "Spencer, please!"

He knew that voice. "Riley?" Reid said to himself. The knocking and pounding continued. Quickly, Reid headed through his apartment to the front door.

"Spencer!" she cried again. "I know you're here, I checked your room number from your mailbox downstairs! I saw the lights on! Please, Spencer, please!"

As fast as possible, Reid unlocked the dead bolt and unfastened the chain latch, at last opening the door. Riley rushed in without waiting to be invited. All thoughts of loathing or resentment or pain diminished from his mind as he saw the frightened look on her face.

"Riley?" he asked, concerned. "What's wrong?"

She was crying and breathing deeply, trying to catch her breath. Reid reached out and pulled her close to him. He was afraid she'd push him away, but instead accepted his embrace and squeezed him close to her.

"I'm sorry," she said, crying into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"Okay," he whispered, "Shh, it's okay. What happened?"

She cried into his shoulder for a moment, trying to gather composure. Finally, when she'd calmed a bit, she pulled away. Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke, her voice shaking. "I came home late tonight. I was driving back from Havensall… I got home a half hour ago."

"That's pretty late, what were you doing up there so long?" He tired to get her to keep eye contact with her, holding his hands on her upper arms as if to stop her from running away.

"The Dean of Medicine there said he knew of a few old files in the basement that might hold some information on Fueller. So… I went to look and I lost track of time." She sniffled, closing her eyes for a moment to stop a fresh wave of tears. "I… I came home and I… I went to my apartment and… the door was open."

"Oh my God," he uttered.

She nodded, a few more tears escaped. "I went in and the living room was trashed. All my books were off the shelves, things were thrown around. But… the only things they took were the files on Fueller that I left on the coffee table. I hadn't looked at them since you left Monday."

"That's it?"

She nodded, finally looking into his hazel eyes. "I went into my bedroom, which was fairly clean… except my entire underwear drawer was emptied on my bed. Just the underwear drawer."

"That's peculiar."

"When I was looking at it, I heard the sound of the front door close. I had closed it behind me, but I hadn't locked it. Someone had come in after me."

Reid suddenly looked scared himself. Riley started crying again, turning hysterical.

"I ran out of there as quick as I could. I left my purse, my keys, my glasses, everything. I ran the whole way here, I was so scared." she sobbed. "And, I know you're angry and I know you hate me, I just… I didn't know who else to turn to! I'm sorry!"

Reid shushed her again, pulling her into his arms to quiet her. He rocked her soothingly, letting her cry into his sweater. "That's not true. I could never hate you." He said. That made her sob harder, holding him closer. "You can stay here, I'll keep you safe."

She pulled back slightly to see his face. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. "You can take my bed; I'll sleep on the couch."

"You don't have to do that," she moaned. "You're so good to me. I don't deserve you."

She sobbed harder and Reid couldn't help but smile. "Okay, stop crying." He said gently, stroking her back. "You're safe now. I'm here. Shh, I'm here."


	18. Something's Wrong

The next thing Reid could remember was lying with his eyes closed. His head felt split into two. His entire body ached and his stomach felt extremely sore. Slowly, he opened his eyes, finding himself lying in a white, clean, unfamiliar room. He looked around. The sun was mixing with night. He couldn't tell if it was twilight or dawn.

"Guys," a female voice called. It sounded foggy. "Guys, I think he's coming around."

Reid looked to his right and saw a blonde woman leaning over him. His brain, working on slow motion, took a moment to recognize her.

"J.J.?" he asked, a little uncertain.

"Hey," she spoke in a half whisper. "We were worried about you."

Everything was a blur. How had he gotten here? "Where am I?" he asked.

"St. Anne's Hospital." She said. Morgan, Hotch, and Emily came into the room. "You were brought here around midnight. Somebody broke into your apartment."

"Hey, man," Morgan said, going over to the other side of the bed. "Do you remember anything, buddy?"

"Morgan," he whispered, after taking a moment to identify him. "Um… I don't…" he fought the splitting headache to think. He remembered screaming… pounding… a baby crying with the sounds of sirens… but nothing was making sense. Nothing connected the story in his mind. "I don't know." He mumbled dazedly. "What happened?

"I was called early this morning. They said someone broke into your apartment and attacked you. He didn't take anything, but he beat you up pretty bad. You have a concussion. He stabbed you five times in the stomach.

"They said your neighbor, Holly Marsh, heard a woman screaming in your home. Her husband called 911 while she came to see if you were alright. You'd have died if she hadn't found you."

Holly heard screaming, a woman screaming. What woman could have been in his place? Suddenly, his mind snapped to Riley.

"Riley…" he whispered.

"No, Holly," Emily said. "You're neighbor."

It clicked. He was holding Riley, he was trying to console her… "No, Riley was with me. Where's Riley?"

The entire group looked confused. "Riley wasn't there. She wasn't found."

"She was there!" he cried, sitting up. "She was at my place."

"What are you talking about?" Morgan asked.

"Why was Riley at your place, Reid?" Hotch asked.

"Someone had broken into her apartment. She was scared, she didn't know what to do so she came to my place. She was sobbing and… I was trying to calm her down and…" with the exception of a few fuzzy noises, Reid's mind was blacked out. He covered his eyes with his hands to help himself think. "My brain is not working!" he moaned. The pain was almost unbearable, but he had to concentrate. Whoever broke into her apartment must have followed her… whoever it was kidnapped her and tried to kill him.

"It was Fueller," Reid said. "I know it. He has to be the one killing those girls. He's out to get her. He's been stalking her." He'd been stalking Reid as well. "And now he's taken her. He's going to kill her in three days. I'm sure of it."

"Reid, you don't know it's Fueller." Morgan said. "It could have been anybody who broke into your place. Riley was probably just in the wrong place at-"

"Do you really think it's a coincidence that a complete stranger broke into her apartment and then another complete stranger broke into mine and attacked us after she'd gotten there? Do you really think it's just a fluke that we both felt like we were being followed on the same night when we weren't even together?" He looked at Hotch. "He's got her."

Hotch shared Reid's stare and then looked to the rest of the team. "It's at least something to go on. Morgan, call Garcia. Tell her to try and track down where Fueller's staying and who his parole officer and his new shrink is. If she's not at the B.A.U., tell her to get back in. The rest of you, let's go."

"I'm going with you." Reid said, trying to climb out of bed.

"Reid, no," J.J. said, "They want you to stay overnight, just to be sure."

"And you're off this case, anyway," Hotch said.

"I can't be. Hotch!" He protested.

"Reid, you're injured. You have 67 total stitches on your stomach and 7 in your head. You're on leave until the doctors clear you to return to work."

"That could take weeks," Reid objected, but leaned back on his pillow, feeling dizzy and nauseous. His head felt like it was spinning. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to ignore the pain.

"J.J., maybe you should stay here and watch him." Hotch mumbled.

Reid opened his eyes to see her nod. Emily made her way to the head of the bed. "We'll find her, Reid. I promise. Get better." She patted his shoulder comfortingly. Reid reached out and squeezed it, feeling too sick to say anything. She and Hotch left, leaving the two alone.

J.J. reclaimed her seat, taking his hand for comfort.

"If you need to get home to Will and Henry, you can go." Reid said. "I'm not going to leave, I don't think my legs would support me."

"They'll be fine without me for awhile," she replied. Squeezing his hand tighter, she continued, "They'll find her, Reid. You know they're the best."

"I was supposed to protect her." He said. "And I let him take her."

"Reid, you look like Rocky." She said. "From the looks of you, you didn't just let him take her. You fought for her. You almost gave your life for her and if your neighbors hadn't found you, you would have." She paused, letting her words sink in. "And we are going to find her."

"I hope you're right, J.J." He said, leaning back to let the pain sink in. "At least whatever pain meds they have me on are weak. I won't… you know, relapse."

"You're not on any pain meds." J.J. said. "When Hotch made it in, he explained your situation to your doctor so he wouldn't give you anything. They've been giving you something to sleep. That's probably why you're so groggy."

Reid nodded, closing his eyes. In a moment, thankfully, he fell back asleep. He was the most upset J.J. had ever seen him. He didn't even bother to ask who Rocky was.

…………………………

Slowly, Riley managed to open her eyes. The room was in was dimly lit, but her head hurt so bad she couldn't even make out an image. Her nose inhaled the scent of blood, waste, and burning wood. Light was flickering, probably a fire, and a shadow was moving among the flames. She felt sick.

"Spencer?" she mumbled, blinking slowly. Where was she? She felt drugged. The last thing she remembered… Spencer was soothing her; she was just starting to feel safe again… She closed her eyes to remember more. There was a fight… he was telling her to get out when she felt like she'd been stung in the leg… she felt an intense pain in her head as she blacked out… she must have hit her head. She tried to feel the pulsing pain on the back of her head and realized her hands were bound with duct tape. The nausea was getting to her.

"Spencer," she uttered again, rolling over on the mattress, she vomited on the floor. Resting her head, she closed her eyes and drifted away again. The world was too fuzzy for her to care.

…………………………

Reid didn't awake again until late the next morning. J.J. had been replaced by Morgan, who sat with headphones on.

"Hey," he said, taking his music off. "Look who's awake. How you feeling, kid?"

"Like I was beat up and stabbed. I guess that's good, considering that's what happened." He sounded bitter. "Did you find Riley?"

"No, but we found Fueller. He'd been evading his P.O. His last meeting was supposed to be ten days ago and he never showed. The team's on the way over to his apartment to bring him in to interrogate him. They're going to call me when they've got him and I'm going to help interview him."

"I want to help, too."

"Reid, you can barely stand. Even without the sleep meds, I doubt you'd make it."

Reid heaved a heavy sigh, having little strength to argue. "I just feel like I should be doing something. I'm just lying here and no one even knows where she is. What if she's already-"

"If Fueller sticks to his MO, we still have a day and half before he kills her. They're bringing him in now. Riley might even be there, too."

"He wouldn't risk the cops coming to his place and finding her there. Especially being on parole. When he was arrested ten years ago, they didn't even find any evidence of torture or murder anywhere in his house. They never found where he did his work."

"We'll find her." Morgan urged. "I'll beat it out of him if I have to."

Finally, Reid gave a small, slightly painful smile. "Oh my God, you actually smiled!"

"Shut up," he said through another one. Reid was so thankful for Morgan, the best friend he ever had. Well… who was male, anyway.

"Hey, guys," Emily said, walking into the room. "How you feeling Reid?"

"Prentiss, what are you doing here?" Morgan asked.

"Where's Fueller? Did you find Riley?" Reid asked.

"Morgan, can I talk to you in the hall for a minute?" she asked. Morgan stood up, throwing a cautious look of curiosity at her. Emily led him out first, closing the door behind them.

Nervous, Reid stared at the door waiting for their return. They were keeping their voices low, he suspected, otherwise he'd hear them, even just a little. Something was wrong.

A moment later, an ashen faced Morgan returned with Emily, still looking as nervous and scared as when she arrived.

"What is it?" Reid asked. His throbbing stomach clenched… maybe they did find Riley… and she was…

"Reid, um… the good news is we did find Fueller." She said. She glanced at Morgan for support, but he had nothing to say. "But…"

"He killed her already, didn't he?" Reid asked, trying to keep his voice stable.

"We didn't find Riley yet. We found Fueller in his apartment." She closed her eyes to try and gather what strength she had left.

"That's good, isn't it?"

"Reid… Fueller's dead."

Confused, Reid glanced at Morgan, who was watching him in turn, warily.

"Well, I can't say I'm upset. At least he can't hurt Riley. Who shot him… Hotch? You?"

"We didn't kill him." Emily said. "He's been dead, the coroner suspects, at least two weeks."

A pin drop could have been heard within the room. Reid's head started pounding again as he tried to piece the information together. "That's impossible. Those girls we found… they were killed less than a week ago. The other girls in the case, they were killed the exact same way. It has to be the same killer."

"Then, I guess Fueller didn't kill them." Morgan clarified. "And Fueller obviously doesn't have Riley."

Reid looked away from the saddened eyes around him. "Then who does?"

A/N: I really hope you guys weren't expecting this. Please let me know what you think, I love hearing others predictions. And I just finished the entire story, so there shouldn't be anymore extremely long delays, and I'm contemplating a sequel. (I don't think it's time to let them go, yet.) Review!


	19. Back at Square One

The rest of the team was working on the case. Fueller was out of the question putting them back at square one. The coroner's report stated that he had been murdered and the team began to think whoever killed Fueller may possible have killed the victims or somehow be involved with the case.

With another dose of medication, Reid had fallen asleep that night. He demanded to be let go to work on the case, but the doctors were still concerned about his head injury. He was still having severe headaches and until they subsided, he was going to remain there.

"How's he doing?" J.J. asked when she stopped by the next day.

"Better… physically, anyway. They had to give him another sedative." Morgan said, standing up. He stretched to loosen his muscles. "How's the rest of them?"

"They've got nothing. They created a partial profile, but they don't have any suspects or leads yet. The best way they'll get a full profile is when…"

"-they have another victim." He finished. Both full aware who the next victim was almost certain to be.

"Riley…" Reid mumbled in his sleep, just like he had on the plane. Morgan and J.J. watched him uncertainly. "Riley…"

They glanced at each other, both worried about their friend, before Morgan took his leave and J.J. sat down.

…………………………

Riley opened here eyes again to the sound of someone screaming. The light, however soft, hurt her eyes. She squeezed her lids shut to avoid the pain.

"No, please!" the voice was screaming. It sounded like it was coming from outside. "Please, I'll give you whatever you want, please just let me go!"

No one responded. She listened to the screaming. She wanted to call out for Spencer, but she couldn't get the message to her mouth to say something. She tried to get her body to obey her, but the rest of her muscles had a mind of their own. At least she didn't feel like throwing up anymore.

The screaming outside continued in hysterics, interrupted only by beating sounds. Riley wanted to help her. She tried to call out "stop it" but only managed a soft moan.

After a moment, the screaming stopped all together. Her mind couldn't understand why it had stopped, or why the sounds of footsteps were getting closer. The sound was amplified by her head; she'd take a hangover over this.

"Spencer," she managed to mumbled. "Spencer, where are you?"

She opened her eyes and only saw the shadow of the figure by the fire. Riley was losing strength and soon she'd be unconscious again, but she wanted to see who it was.

He never came into her sight. The footsteps wandered in the other direction and outside again, leaving Riley alone. Her hands still bound, she rolled onto her side and closed her eyes, attempting to sleep off this headache. The world disappeared again.

…………………………

"Hey, sleepy head." J.J. said as Reid became conscious. Looking around, it took a moment to remember where he was and why he was there. He opened his mouth to speak, but J.J. stopped him with a shake of her head. "Give it time, Spence."

They didn't have time. He leaned his head back on his pillow and closed his eyes to stop tears from escaping. The sun was setting again which meant at midnight would be the end of the timeline. Riley will have been missing for three days… and that was the cut off. She was dead. He couldn't save her.

"This isn't your fault, Reid," J.J. exclaimed, as if she could read his mind. She reached out and took his hand. "You need to stay calm."

"Oh," Reid said, opening his eyes. "And if Will were missing, you would be perfect calm and just let the rest of us find him."

Touché. "You're right, I'm sorry." She took a deep breath, squeezing his hand tighter. He gave her squeeze back; his way of accepting her apology.

Surprising both of them, Hotch walked in a moment later. He took a deep breath, offering no word of greeting. "We have another body."

"Is it Riley?" Reid asked, voice cracking.

"No." Hotch said, and both J.J. and Reid let out a sight of relief. "Thankfully, no. The police already identified her as Leslie Hamilton. She's seventeen years old and the unsub swayed from his MO by killing her five days after she was reported missing, not three and there was no sexual abuse this time."

"How are you even sure it's the same killer?" J.J. said.

"She was found in the same area as the other victims. Things we didn't release to the press were evident on the body."

"He might be devolving," Reid said, his mind beginning to function properly for the first time in two days. "Either that or he knows we're on to him and is trying to lead us off track."

"I spoke to your doctor," Hotch said, directly to Reid. "He says you're clear to be discharged in the morning." He paused, moving slightly closer to the bed. "Do you think you'd be strong enough to work on this?"

"Absolutely, sir," Reid replied, giving not a second to think it over. "But, I thought-"

"This is off the record, Reid. Which means, as far as the FBI is concerned, you're on sick leave. Is that clear?"

"Crystal clear, sir." Reid said. "But why? I mean… why are you letting me?"

He hesitated, seeming almost as if he wanted to leave without answering. "I want her back as much as you do, Reid. I need my best men in order to save her."

With that, Hotch turned and left the room. Reid leaned back on his pillow again. His thoughts alive. Hotch really seemed to love her, didn't he? There was no way he loved her as much as Reid, but… he did love her. And if he was the one Riley wanted… as long as she was happy, Reid wanted him for her. Alive most importantly, but happy.

"You better rest up, kid, you've got a lot of work ahead of you."

Reid nodded. The meds were working, taking control again as it was.

…………………………

By early light, Riley opened her eyes, conscious at last, her mind all but clear. She remembered spurts of acuteness, waking up in a dream like state and seeing this room, but she had thought it was a dream. Her head ached, but she couldn't exactly recall why.

"Look who's awake," a voice whispered from out of sight. She knew that voice. It was… damnit, she couldn't think of a name.

"Who's there?" she asked, her voice sounded so different. It was the echo, that was it. The smell of blood and vomit hit her nose again. The smell of vomit always made her want to be sick. "Hello?"

"I think it's time for another shot," the man said, he moved into view… but Riley couldn't place his face at the moment. Her head hurt too much to remember.

"Where's Spencer?" she asked.

He leaned down, not answering her. "I know this seems cruel," he said, checking the syringe in hand to remove any air bubbles that were in it. "But it's only temporary. I just need you to stay calm and quiet for now. This is the best way."

"What are you doing?" she asked, trying to blink out the pain. "I know I know you."

"Now don't act like that," he said. "You know who I am. I've seen you every day. You know how I feel about you. And you just ignored me. You thought you could push your feelings for me aside and get on with your life, but I'm not going to let you do that."

He sounded like Spencer. An insane Spencer, of course. But she knew it wasn't him. He'd never hurt her. He… a small, fuzzy memory floated to her mind… he fought to save her…

"Who are you?" she asked, unsure.

"That hurts, Riley. Acting like you don't know me." He said. She felt like he was ripping at her nylons. Instinctively, Riley tried to kick him away. He grabbed her leg to make her stay still. He was strong, but Riley had some fight left in her.

"Let me go! What did you do to Spencer!?" she yelled. Maybe someone out there would hear her. Stupid of him not to gag her.

_No, he just drugged you_. She thought, trying to pull from him again. She tried to wiggle her hands free from the duct tape, but it was too tight.

"Spencer. You don't need to be concerned about him anymore." He said, almost soothingly, still trying to keep her still.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know he hurt you," Her captor said. "You tried to hide it, but I know. He broke your heart. Stupid of you to think you'd be happier with him. But, it doesn't matter. I'm willing to let it go, and you never have to worry about Spencer Reid again."

"What do you mean?" she asked, trying to pull herself up to see him better. "What did you do to him?"

"He's gone," he said. "I love you, Riley. I will never break your heart like he did."

"He didn't break my heart!" She cried with frustration. "I broke his!"

"You don't have to protect him. I made him pay for what he did to you." He smiled. Riley tried to pull and squirm away, but his grip was too strong. "I made him pay. Five times I made him pay."

"He's not dead." She sobbed, letting a few droplets fall out. "Please tell me he's not dead!"

"I think that makes my intentions clear," he said, forcing the needle into her skin. She winced from the pain, feeling the injection go in. "I killed for you. If that's not true love, I don't know what is." He went up to kiss her forehead.

"Get away from me, you son-of-a-bitch!" she cried out.

Rage took over and he smacked her twice across the cheek. The pain was unbearable. She sputtered, spitting up blood. He took a deep breath to calm down.

"I'm sorry," he said. "You'll understand soon. This is all for the best. You really don't know what it is you do to me, do you? I don't want to have to hurt you anymore."

She lay on her side, pretending to have been knocked out. A hand brushed over her matted, curly hair and then he walked away. Riley listened to the footsteps head into the next room.

"Spencer," she quietly moaned. He was dead because of her. "I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry, Spencer." She never got a chance to tell him she was lying, that she loved him. The tears fell onto the dirty mattress until the drugs took her away again.


	20. Looking for a Lead

Reid's first stop was Riley's apartment. He had left the hospital early, not bothering to wait to be picked up. He already felt he had wasted enough time.

He needed to see the crime scenes for himself; though most of the evidence probably had already been found and collected. There might have been something everyone else missed. And he knew Riley better than them…

…except maybe Hotch.

He pushed that thought out of his mind. If he focused on anything but the case, they wouldn't find her.

The building seemed a bit more alive than the previous times he'd been there. There was a baby crying on the second floor, the odd blaring of TVs could be heard on each floor. But the fifth was quiet. Almost like a sign of respect for the missing girl in the corner apartment.

Reid made it to the door, which had crime scene tape over it. That was easily broken, but the lock was another matter. Breaking that would be tampering with a crime scene. He needed a key. His first thought was under the mat, though that seemed much too obvious. Still, he checked anyway, his first instincts correct.

Thinking quickly, trying to ignore the dull pain in his stomach, Reid decided to try a neighbor. He and Holly had exchanged keys a few years ago when she and her husband moved in, maybe Riley had the same thinking. He headed across the hall.

After the third knock, a woman in her mid-seventies answered the door, wearing a house coat and slippers. She seemed very startled by Reid and he realized he must look a mess. His clothes were a bit wrinkled and he must look weak and sick.

"What do you want?" she asked sternly. Reid could tell she was frightened, but attempted to hide it.

"Ma'am, I'm very sorry to bother you. My name's Dr. Spencer Reid, I'm with the F.B.I." He held up his badge for proof.

She spoke before he could explain himself. "Are you here about the break-in?" she asked. "The girl across the hall must have been robbed or something."

"Actually, ma'am, yes. Riley is a friend of mine and asked me to take a look into the matter." There was no point in scaring the woman. "I was wondering if you might have a key to her place."

"Why didn't she just give you hers?" she asked, suspicious.

"Riley was so scared, she left her keys and everything behind."

"Oh," she said, still skeptical. "Well, no, she didn't give me a key, but I did see her reach for one above the door frame a few months ago. Check there."

"Thank you, ma'am." Reid said, turning around.

"What was your name again?" she asked.

"Dr. Spencer Reid." He replied.

Quickly, the woman slammed the door and he heard the click of the lock. Not wasting another moment, Reid went and checked the door frame with his fingers. His stomach pulsed with pain as his abdominals stretched slightly. Luckily, as his fingers danced along the wood, they came in contact with jagged metal. Success.

He pulled the key down and let himself in, breaking the tape. He didn't think he'd have the strength the bend and duck under.

Inside, it was dark, even for being daylight. All the shades were drawn. Riley could have done that herself, but that seemed odd. Maybe the crime scene unit was probably responsible, but still it made him nervous. He didn't think he'd survive another attack. His hand slipped to his gun for second, as if just to reassure himself it was there. Switching on the lights, he began his search.

Just as Riley had said, the place was ransacked. The posters were off the walls and most of the books knocked off the shelves, a lot with pages ripped out and crumpled on the floor. Her almost twenty year collection lay ruined on the floor.

"I'll help her rebuild it when she comes home." He said to himself, touring over the pile. He reached down and grabbed The Shining, shoving it in his bag, before heading through the mess and ruble to the bedroom.

The lights were off and the shades were down in here as well. It didn't look as disorganized in here. But the drawer was emptied out, just as Riley had claimed. It was all over her disheveled bed sheets. Reid felt a red hot fire in his chest, a feeling he'd never felt before. It would do no good to think revenge; not now. He had to keep his head if was going to find her in time.

A creak of a floor board pulled him from his thoughts. Someone was here.

His breath catching in his throat, Reid was frozen. He listened again, but there was nothing but silence. He could be waiting for Reid in the next room. Slowly, his hand went to his gun. He wasn't going to let this guy get him this time.

Turning gradually, he half expected to see someone standing there. Exhaling, he moved towards the door. His gun held before as he began to step back through.

He didn't call out. He didn't think he'd be able to. His throat was dry and he could barely catch his breath. After all, he should have been in bed trying to heal.

Another creak was heard. Carefully, trying to get his throat unstuck, he swallowed and got closer to the living room. Taking one more deep breath, he stepped in, hoping for the element of surprise.

"What do you want?" Reid asked, thankfully able to get the words out.

The stranger turned, revealing what was so obviously the elderly neighbor from across the hall. She looked frightened at the sight of the gun. Reid was so filled with relief, it took him a moment to realize it was still pointed at her and so lowered it.

"I'm sorry," she said, still stunned. "But, I… I wanted to check if you were who you said you were."

"That's alright," Reid said, suddenly feeling light headed. "Can't be too sure in this day and age."

"Exactly," she said. "I called the police department, who patched me to the F.B.I and the unit you're supposed to work for. I talked to a woman named Agent Jared or Jeffro or-

"Jareau?" Reid asked.

"I think that's it. Anyway, she asked to speak with you so I came to see if you were still here."

Finding his mental stability, Reid nodded, hooking his gun back onto his side. He followed the lady out of Riley's place across the hall.

"Hello?" Reid asked.

"Reid, where the hell are you?" Morgan barked into the phone. "Are you insane!? You can barely stand as it is."

"I thought this was J.J.," Reid said, attempting to change the subject long enough to calm him down.

"She handed me the phone. She and I have been searching for you since we came to pick you up this morning. Where are you at, man?"

"Riley's apartment." He answered. "I…" He lowered his voice knowing the lady was eavesdropping. "I needed to see the crime scene for myself. I was heading over to my place next and then back to the BAU."

"No, you're coming here now." Morgan commanded. "In fact, I'll come to you. Just stay there."

"I'm not a baby, Morgan. You don't have to take care of me."

"That wasn't a suggestion, Reid. And if you leave before I get there, I don't care how sick you are, I will kick your ass."

Among the sincerity, Reid could hear the empathy in his voice. Reid knew his friends were just watching out for him. The only family he had.

"I'll be here," Reid said. Quickly he hung up the phone, turning to leave.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you." The woman said as he headed towards the door.

"I understand, ma'am." Reid repeated. "But I need to get back to work."

"It's just both Marvin and I have been on edge lately." She interrupted again. "Does this break-in have anything to do with the man outside our building?"

Curious, Reid turned back. "What man?"

"There was this man who was outside the building for weeks, every single night he'd be out by the front door. He'd try to stay out of the street lamp, but I could still seem him there. He always seemed to be looking up at our windows."

"How long would he stay out there?" Reid asked.

"All night. I watched a few nights. He'd show up around eleven or so and stay until just before dawn. I always get up an hour before dawn to make breakfast for Marvin, see."

"Was he there last night?"

"No, he hasn't been there in days. The young girl would always leave around seven or so. Sometimes I'd see her when I'd go down to get the paper. Not very sociable, but always polite. And she usually got home before ten, but I haven't seen her at all the last few days, which is about the same time he stopped showing up."

Well, 'Mrs. Kravitz' was at least was giving them something. "You never saw his face? You wouldn't be able to make an ID?"

"No," she replied. "Is… is she alright? The girl, I mean?"

Reid couldn't answer that. Like a fear in his stomach told him no matter what he'd say confirming her, it would doom her. That was ridiculous, of course, but he couldn't get rid of the nasty instinct.

"I need to get back to work." Reid replied, heading out the door.


	21. Havensall

"You know, he's kind of cute," Emily said, leaning over the back of the couch. "Like a little lost puppy or something."

Reid had gone back to Riley's apartment. Feeling dizzy, he decided to lay on the couch to rest for a bit. He definitely was back on his feet too soon, and he knew it, but his mind wouldn't let his body heal. Once Riley was safe at home, he could mend and get back his strength. Of course, a quick rest on the couch got the better of him and by the time Morgan, along with Emily, showed up, he was asleep.

"Do we really have to wake him?" Emily asked, glancing at Morgan.

"He'll hate us if we don't." Morgan replied, reaching down to shake him awake. "Reid. Come on, Reid, wake up."

Feeling like he was rising from the grave, he opened his eyes and began to move. He looked around, taking a moment to remember where he was and why his two friends stood over him. "Sorry," he finally muttered. "I only meant to rest for a minute."

"Reid, if you're not up to this, we can take you home." Morgan replied.

"Actually, we can't," Emily interrupted. "His apartment is still a crime scene."

"Then we'll take him to my place."

"No," Reid replied, managing to stand. "No, I have to work on this. I have to find her."

"And kill yourself in the process?"

"I almost died for her four days ago, you don't think I'd do it again?"

He had a mutiny and madness about him that neither had ever seen before. Emily reached out her hand towards him, like one would do to a vicious dog. "Okay," she spoke, in a hushed tone. "What did you find here?"

"Nothing," he answered, taking a deep breath. "It's… just the way she told me it was. It's one of the last things I remember before things got… blurry."

"She had a lot of books," Emily said, starring at the literary ruble on the floor. "What was he looking for?"

"Her," Reid replied. "He wanted her."

"But why make a mess? And why mess up only this room? The bedroom is fine except for her panties all over the bed. The kitchen is basically untouched. What's the significance of this room?"

Morgan allowed his mind to role-play, to try and pull whatever evidence hung in the air. The evidence most couldn't see. "I'm a man; I'm obsessed with this woman. She's unattainable." He paused, looking at the heap. "I know her. I know her personally because I know she loves books and she loves music." His foot brushed against a broken frame of Les Miserables. "I know she lives alone so I know a roommate isn't going to interrupt us, and I know she doesn't have many friends so it's going to be awhile before someone reports her missing."

"Which is probably why we haven't found her body yet," Emily replied. "It's Monday. Only now would her office realize she's not coming in and it would take at least until this afternoon before they would call her."

"I'm dead," Reid said randomly. Both Morgan and Emily looked at Reid, panicked. "I don't mean I'm going to die, I mean the unsub wanted to kill me. He may not know I survived."

"Was his intention to kill you or were you just his obstacle to Riley?"

"He came here first, which meant she wasn't supposed to leave."

"Okay," Morgan replied, thinking again. "So, my planned is ruined. My target got out before I could try to grab her… did I follow her right away?"

"No," Reid stated plainly. "He didn't have to. He knew where I lived and he knew she was running to me."

"How did he know that? Where you live, I mean?"

His attention went to Morgan. "Do you remember the morning Riley showed up? Said she wanted to talk?"

"Yeah,"

"She said someone had followed her after she left the office the day before, after our session. She came to see if that happened to me. I told her no, but I was lying. Whoever was stalking her wanted to keep a tab on me." He stopped a moment, thinking, trying to keep his composure. "If her colleague hadn't met up with her, he might have grabbed her that night."

"Alright, so she gets away before I can do anything, but luckily she didn't see me. I don't even have to keep close to her. I'll just follow in a minute."

Suddenly, like a switch had been hit in his brain, Reid turned to Emily. "What do you mean the kitchen was basically untouched?"

"Just what I mean. It was clean, no mess. They found a broken glass on the floor, but it only had Riley's DNA on it, where are you going?"

No time to loose, Reid was headed to the kitchen. He had never been in here before, so it took a moment to find what he was looking for. He opened each drawer, but no luck. Glancing on the counter, he noticed the set of knives. "Notice anything?" he asked as the others arrived behind him.

"How could the CSU miss that?" Emily asked.

"He knew he was going to kill me. Since Riley was on foot, he might have hoped to get there before her. Still… he knew he was going to kill me. And since he hasn't shown up anywhere, he thinks I'm dead or doesn't care."

"Reid, he could be watching you right now!" Emily exclaimed.

"Thanks! You don't think I thought of that!?" Reid answered. "It doesn't matter, we're still nowhere."

"We're not nowhere." Morgan corrected. "Garcia made a connection between the first victim and the most recent."

"You're kidding." Reid replied. "What is it?"

"They both were victims of rape cases. And both their offenders spent time at Havensall Hosptial for-"

"-the Criminally Insane." Reid finished. "Riley worked there. She had patients there. It's where Fueller was held."

"It's not much, but there may be someone there who knows something. Anything that could lead us to where we should head." Emily looked Reid over, knowing how tired and unwell he was. "Do you want us to leave you at Morgan's?"

"If someone might be hunting him, we can't." Morgan added.

"It doesn't matter, I wouldn't let you go without me anyway." Reid said, heading out of the kitchen.

…………………………

The hospital was surreal. It was like something out of a horror movie. Barred windows and steel doors everywhere. It was more prison than hospital. A sickeningly, bone numbing chill hit the three agents as the came in.

"This place should be shut down." Emily whispered, looking around as they followed an orderly down a corridor. "It's like something out of a Nazi film. Riley really worked here?"

"Works," Reid corrected. He wouldn't let them refer to her in the past tense. "And she only comes here for a few patients. Her main job is at the Bureau."

"Everyone knows this isn't a great facility, anyway," Morgan added.

The orderly brought them to the Dean of Medicine's office. He sat at his desk, an elderly gentlemen with white and gray through ought his hair and beard. "Sir," the orderly said. "The F.B.I. is here for you."

"F.B.I.?" he asked, standing up. "I'm Dr. Henry Robinson. What's this about?"

"Sir, I'm sorry we're ambushing you like this, but we're in the middle of an investigation. We have a limited amount of time. I'm S.S.A. Derek Morgan, this is Agents Emily Prentiss and Dr. Spencer Reid."

"I see," he said, shaking hands with each individual. He lingered on Reid's appearance for a moment, looking suspicious before going to his filing cabinet. "Which patient would you like to see?"

"We're not here about a patient, sir, but a doctor who works here and at the Bureau. Dr. Riley Parker."

"Dr. Parker?" he asked, surprised. "If you have any suspicions about her, you're dead wrong. She's one of my best psychiatrists and she would never be involved in anything illegal."

"She's not, sir," Morgan said. "Dr. Parker was abducted."

"Oh my God," he exclaimed, seeming completely sincere.

"We were hoping you might give us some information on things she was involved in here."

Dr. Robinson went to a filing cabinet on the other side of the room. Rifling through it, he continued. "Dr. Parker doesn't belong in this place."

"What makes you say that?" Reid asked.

"She's too good a doctor. She can definitely hold her own here, but she shouldn't be wasting her time with people who most likely won't be cured. I think leaving is the best decision for her."

"Leaving?" Emily asked. "Did Dr. Parker resign?"

"Yes, uh… last Thursday she gave her two weeks notice, if I recall. Ah, here it is." He pulled out Riley's file and looked over it. "Yes, Dr. Parker did her residency here before she received her appointment at the F.B.I. I was a little surprised how quickly she got in there. I hear it's very competitive."

"For agents, it is. Technically she was still a civilian." Emily added.

"Is," Reid muttered under his breath. He took the file from Robinson and read it over. "Do you also have any files on Fueller?"

Unsure, Robinson went back to the original cabinet. "Fueller? I think I may have one extra copy, but it may not be up-to-date. Do you think he's involved?"

"No, we've already ruled him out." Morgan said. He watched the young genius as he read.

Reid's eyes flew over the last page. "The medication is wrong." He finally cried out. "It doesn't match Fueller's original file."

Robinson took the file back and read it himself. "Are you sure? Do you have the original on hand?"

"Trust me, he's sure." Emily replied. "What do you think that means?"

"I pointed out how the medication was off in the file just before the trail. It was the same night we…" He had almost exposed their indiscretion in front of Riley's boss, "…looked over the case together for the first time. She also said they brought it up at the trial and she couldn't explain it."

"These drugs and doses would cause such a haze, any person would seem normal." Robinson said.

"We're going to need a list of everyone involved with Fueller during his sentence."

"That will be a short list." He said. "He was in seclusion most of the time. We never let him around the other patients."

"None of them?" Emily asked.

Robinson shook his head. "I wouldn't even allow Dr. Parker to be with him alone. Usually a male orderly or guard went in. It was much more of a relief on the few occasions Dr. Andrews came with her."

"Dr. Andrews," Reid repeated. "Was Dr. Andrews ever alone with him?"

"Sometimes. He could defend himself. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't think Dr. Parker can defend herself, but Fueller was a large man."

Before Emily or Morgan could inquire further, Reid snatched the file and headed for the door. "Thank you for your time," he said quickly, rushing out the door. Nervous, Morgan and Emily excused their friend, said a quick thank you and farewell, and followed suit.

"What are you thinking?" Emily asked, catching up to him down the corridor.

"Andrews worked with Riley on a daily basis. He was the colleague that walked her home. He's got to know something. Information on others at Havensall, anyone who was close to her around here."

"Why didn't you ask Robinson?" Morgan asked.

"He's not going to know anything. He's not close to Riley like Andrews was – is." He quickly corrected himself. Taking a deep breath, he continued on with his thought. "Riley's neighbor noticed a stalker outside of the apartment, maybe Andrews noticed someone as well, or someone hanging around her a little too much at Havensall. Maybe he can give us an idea who changed the meds and why the meds were changed."

"Why would that be important?"

"It's too much of a coincidence."

"He's right," Morgan agreed. "If we ignore it, we might never find her."


	22. The Unsub

"So, what's your theory, Reid?" Emily asked on the drive back. The sun was setting. She sat in the front seat as Morgan drove. Reid rested, laying on the back seat, looking at Fueller's copy file.

"I'm not sure how much Andrews was involved with the Fueller case, but Riley never mentioned entailing his expertise. I think we should talk to him."

"He might not know anything." Emily said.

"Maybe, but it's the only lead we have. Even if he had been briefed on the case, he may not remember much, but still it's still worth a shot. We can't all have memories like our brainiac in the back seat."

Reid felt a pang of heartache and gloom at the word. He'd give anything for Riley to call him "Brainiac" again.

Closing the file, he set it aside and allowed the pain to sink in again. For the first time in a long time, he wanted pain meds to actual help with pain. But that was a bad idea. He'd ask Morgan for aspirin once they got home. Reid stared at the car ceiling, allowing his mind to wander, imagining Riley: her laughter, her smile, the feeling he got when she walked into a room. The incredible sensation he got when he said something that made her laugh.

This was agony. He had no idea where she was. Was she bound and gagged or drugged? Had he beat her or raped her?

"Do you guys think she's still alive?" he asked into the silence mixed with the hum of the SUV. Unseen to him, Morgan and Emily glanced at each other, unsure what to say. "You're lack of response gives me your answer." He added.

"Reid, it's not that we don't want to believe she's alive," Morgan began.

"It's just that…" Emily continued, "We've all worked enough cases to know the odds of her survival. She's been gone almost five days; we have to expect the worst."

"She has to still be alive." Reid said, closing his eyes.

"She's not like us, Reid. We're agents, we're trained to fight and protect ourselves. Riley's a civilian."

"I know that, but she's strong."

"I'm sure she is, but five days of torture? If this guy is doing to her what he did to other victims…"

"But, if he is obsessed with her, he may keep her alive a little longer than the others. He might not treat her the same." Emily chimed in.

"But weren't the others his rehearsal?"

"No," Reid answered. "He used the same MO as Fueller. He may… he may have been trying to copy him to get Riley's attention. I mean, Riley worked with Fueller for a long time. It's probably why the unsub stole the file from her apartment. He had become Fueller; he had gotten her attention,"

"-and wiped out everything in his path that might take her attention away. It explains the books, the posters, you."

"Okay, then why am I the only patient of hers to be killed?" Reid asked. "All the girls targeted had nothing in common, except for the attackers at Havensall… and that could just have been a coincidence."

An answer wasn't immediate. Each in the car thought it over carefully, trying to make the connection.

"Because I'm in love with her, too. He didn't torture me like the girls because that would ruin the Fueller illusion. If he wanted to simply make a point that I was in the way, he would have just maimed me. Even if he did want to get rid of me, he would have done it quickly; slit my throat or shoot me. My murder was personal to him."

"Stabbed five times in the stomach. I'd say that's personal." Emily concurred.

Reid still felt despondent. "Still, it doesn't give us any clue who he is or where he's keeping Riley."

"But it gives us what we need to track him down, Reid." Morgan replied.

"What?" Reid asked, not thinking clearly.

Morgan smirked, flipping on his turn signal. "A profile."

……………………………

"We are looking for a white male," Hotch said to the Quantico Police Department the next morning. "in his late 30s to early 50s. Despite his age, he will be in good physical shape. His mental health, however, is far from healthy."

The team stood around, each explaining their own part of the report. Reid was sitting in a chair quietly, not bothering to say much. He was feeling much weaker than yesterday. His body wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed for a thousand years until the pain stopped. But his mind was set on autopilot and wouldn't let him rest for long.

He voiced nothing during the profile. The others seemed to be on the same wavelength, never waiting for him to chime in. Before they'd even finished, he got up to go into the PD break room.

He sat down at the table, closing his eyes for a moment. His brain wouldn't stop working, even for just a moment of rest. Trying to sleep last night had been more of a nightmare than sleeping ever would offer.

The sound of the door opened and Reid opened his eyes. Morgan had walked in. He headed over to the coffee machine and poured two cups. Taking a seat, he handed one over.

"Whenever you're ready to go," Morgan explained, taking a seat next to him. "Are you sure you're up to this?"

"I have to be." Reid stated, taking a sip of the coffee. "This is really weak… Riley would hate it."

"Reid, everyone will understand if you can't do this. You look awful, you sound worse, and I know you didn't sleep last night."

"I guess you're right. And Riley will understand why no one came to rescue her. Hell, you won't even have to explain it to her."

"Listen to yourself: rescue her? You're not a knight in shining armor and Riley is not some damsel in distress. You have to stop thinking like you're in love with her and focus on the case."

"I know what she's going through. I know what it feels… what goes through your mind… when you know you're about to die." He closed his eyes, trying to hold back tears. "She's got to be terrified. Anybody would be."

"The odds of her being alive…" but lecturing would do no good. Morgan nodded. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to treat you like you're a kid. We're going to get this guy."

Reid nodded just as J.J. walked in. "Hey," she said. "Uh, Emily's waiting. You guys ready to go?"

"Yeah," Morgan said, helping Reid stand. "Let's go."

…………………………

The waiting room seemed completely different to Reid. He hadn't been there in over a week, yet it seemed like years. The same receptionist sat behind the desk. There were no patients in the room.

Morgan and Emily ushered the way. The familiar smell of the office hit him: knock off Chanel from the receptionist and Febreze. The scents made him nauseas and he felt like falling over. Reaching out, he grabbed Emily for support.

"What's wrong?" she whispered.

"I just got dizzy, that's all."

"Sit down," she said, steering him into a seat next to the exit. Her free hand when to his forehead for a moment before motioning Morgan closer. "He's got a fever; we have to get him back to the hospital now."

"I'm not going back to the hospital." He hissed, closing his eyes and resting his head on the back of the chair.

"You might have an infection. You're sick, you need medical help." She looked at Morgan for support.

Taking a deep breath, Morgan glanced at Reid and then back to Emily. "We're already here. Let's just… talk to Andrews. We'll be as quick as possible, and then we'll get him back to the station where he can get some rest."

Emily shrugged. "I'm outnumbered. Alright, come on, Reid." She said, carefully lifting him out his seat. "Just try not to look too sick."

"I'll do my best." He muttered.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked, annoyed.

"We'd like to speak to Dr. Andrews, please." Emily said, turning around.

She eyed Reid curiously. Obviously, she had to recognize him, he'd been in every week. But after a moment, she shook her head. "He's not here right now, can I take a message?"

"When will he'll be back?" Morgan asked.

'I'm not sure. If he doesn't come back by three, he always calls to check in for messages? You're Dr. Parker's patient, right?"

Reid nodded. "You don't usually come in on weekdays. I'm sorry to say, she's not in."

"I know." Reid replied disheartened. "Doesn't she have an assistant or a secretary or something?"

"That's me, that's part of my job." She answered.

"Perfect." He answered with a bitter tone, sitting down in a chair with his face in his hands.

Emily quickly intervened. "Uh, you'll have to excuse Dr. Reid, he doesn't feel well. Listen, we're with the B.A.U. and we're working on a time sensitive case. Could you give us Dr. Andrews' number? We really need to get a hold of him."

"Well, I could give you his cell number, but he rarely ever picks up. He's been swamped lately, trying to cover both his patients and Dr. Parker's."

"Yeah, like it's her fault," Reid spat. He rose quickly and headed towards the door.

"Well, when you decide to go on vacation without so much as a warning to anyone, it's rather inconsiderate."

Frozen in his tracks, Reid turned around and caught eyes with both Morgan and Emily. It wasn't just him, they were just as confused. "She's not on vacation."

"That's what I was told." She stated.

"Who exactly told you she was on vacation?" Emily asked.

"Dr. Andrews did. He came in last Saturday, said Riley had gone off to Napa the night before for a few weeks. Said everything was just getting to her here and asked him to cover for her." Her eyes darted from Emily to Morgan to Reid. "Why? Where is she?"

Running his hands through his hair, Reid uttered a groan, finally having a bit of clarity. The memory was too hazy and dark to truly understand… but this new knot in his stomach was proof enough.

"Thank you," he uttered quickly to the receptionist. "I think we just found our unsub."

A/N: Yeah, most of you figured it out a long time ago. I'm not that sneaky, but I think there are a few surprises still in store, so stay tuned!


	23. And Then What Happened

A/N: Since tomorrow's the first, I'll be working on my script for Script Frenzy and will be completely focused on that for at least a week, so I wanted to post the next update now. I think you guys will like where this ends up, and I'm almost positive at this point I'm going to write a sequel. Enjoy! (BTW: Since there are a lot of writers on here, if anyone's interested in checking out Script Frenzy, go to .org. It's not too late to sign up! And it's free!)

"I swear to God I didn't know." The receptionist said back at the Police Department that afternoon. "Dr. Andrews never said anything like that before. He's a decent guy, a nice guy."

"Trust me, men like Dr. Andrews are highly manipulative." Hotch said, sitting with her, Rossi, and Emily. "He's probably fooled a lot of people."

"We need you to know, you're not in trouble here." Rossi added, handing her a cup of coffee. "We just need to get as much information on Dr. Andrews as possible."

"I always knew he liked her." She replied, cupping the drink in her hands. "He would ask me things like, what I was doing for the weekend. You know, just making conversation. He would usually mention how if he played his cards right, he could be dating Dr. Parker by Monday. Things like that. Personally, I always thought she was crazy because she wouldn't go out with him. I mean he's such a great guy. Well… he seemed like a great guy."

As the interview continued, J.J. made her way into the pitch black break room. Switching on the lights, she found Reid sleeping on the couch under a blanket J.J. had borrowed off one of the PD issue cots. Emily and Morgan had stuck him there once they made it back, in hopes to bring his fever down without going to the hospital.

Reid opened his eyes, feeling J.J.'s hand on his forehead. "How do you feel?" she asked.

"Sore… but a little better." He replied. "What do you think?"

"You feel cool." She said, smiling. She pulled her hand away, examining her hand. "Clammy, but cool."

Reid sat up as she went over and began rifling through her purse. "What's going on? Did they track down Andrews?"

"Not yet, Morgan and Garcia are working on it. Hotch, Rossi, and Emily are talking to C.J."

"Who's C.J.?"

"The receptionist. You've been going to that office every week for months, you didn't learn her name?"

J.J. handed him two pills and a glass of water. "She wasn't the girl I was focused on. What is this?"

"Ibuprofen. It'll help keep your fever down and it should help with the pain. At least take the edge off." She stood and watched him swallow his medicine; a motherly quality she had acquired. Once the pills were gone, she pulled over a chair and sat down. "Okay, while we wait for the others… why don't we try going over what you do remember."

Reid set his glass of water down and sat up. He had to admit, it felt wonderful to rest for a few hours. He rubbed the remaining sleep from his eyes. "I don't know how much I can tell you."

"I know, but you've got to try." J.J. said, reaching over to take his hand for comfort. "We need every detail we can find. You never know what's going to lead us to Riley."

At that moment, Morgan and Garcia entered, ready to reveal the results of their investigation. Seeing the look on Reid's face, neither said a word. This was important.

"Are you ready?" J.J. asked, watching the others sit down.

Reid nodded, staring at the floor. "Alright. Let's get some information. Before Friday night, when was the last time you and Riley spoke?"

"Monday," Reid said certain. "We, um… we had a fight."

"About what?" Garcia asked, curious.

"Nothing about this case," Reid answered, not wanting to relive it. "We spent the evening trying to prove Fueller's guilt… that was a waste of time."

"Okay, let's not worry about that." J.J. said. "So you had a fight and you didn't speak at all for the rest of the week."

Shaking his head, Reid continued. "I didn't even tell her we'd taken on the case. It was almost midnight when she came to my apartment. She was scared, she was… a little hysterical… I was holding her… she was crying, I was trying to calm her…"

"And then what happened?"

The memory was blurred. He closed his eyes, trying to see it better. His ears strained to hear the moment again. The sounds could make the picture lucid. He heard her crying, he felt her tears soaking through her shirt; he could recall how good it felt to hold her again. He'd give anything to hold her again.

The others didn't want to push him, though they waited in anticipation. Reid squeezed J.J.'s hand, trying to convince himself it was Riley's.

"She… she had stopped sobbing, she lifted her head off my shoulder… I wiped away her tears and smiled at her, trying to convince her it wasn't as bad as she thought… I told her I was going to get her something to wear to bed and make up the couch for myself… I was planning on calling Hotch… to keep him informed. Before I could even say that… there was a knock on the door."

"You're doing great," J.J. said, encouragingly. "Who was at the door?"

"Riley gripped my shirt, scared, I had to answer it… I should have gotten my gun."

"Don't worry about that, Reid," Morgan said.

"I answered…" He rubbed his eyes again, focusing, "I think it was him."

"Andrews?" Morgan asked.

"Yes," he answered. "I can't make out his face… but his voice… I'm sure that was his voice… when I saw him… I knew why he was there…"

"What did Riley do?" J.J. asked.

"She looked confused, but she stayed back… Andrews and I didn't say a word to each other, I knew I was going to have to fight him off…" He jumped out of his seat, furious. "Damnit, if I'd only had my gun…"

"That's when the fight started?" Morgan asked.

Reid nodded, turning slowly. "Yeah… it gets blurrier after that. I was trying to fight him off… he punched me several times, but I wasn't about to let him near her… and then I felt something pierce my stomach. I was blinded by the pain and fell over, smacking my head on the floor. He stabbed me twice more. I was gasping for breath and I could hear Riley screaming for me, and then… it sounded like he slapped her… I felt him move away from me and she screamed louder… I wanted to go to her, to call out to her, but I couldn't move… the pain was unbearable, I completely blacked out, I can't even remember when he stabbed me again." He ran his hand over his stitches at his memory. "There are a few misplaced sounds… I heard Holly's baby crying… I heard sirens, but… the next thing I can really picture was waking up in the hospital." He looked at his small audience. No one had a word of revelation. "I knew this was a waste of time," he said, rushing out the door in frustration.

He made it out to the bull pen where Rossi, Hotch, and Emily continued speaking with the receptionist. On Hotch's face, Reid could make out the usual expression of a predator. It didn't matter whether talking to suspect or witness, Hotch always looked like that in an investigation. This had to be ten times more personal now.

"I really don't know what else I can tell you," CJ said. "I really should get back to work."

"Wait," Reid said, going over as she stood up. "Andrews was supposed to be my doctor."

"You're still pissed about that?" she asked.

"No, it's not that. He switched me over to Dr. Parker because he claimed he went out of town… where did he go?"

"Uh…" she leaned her head back, trying to recall. "I think he said New York… I could check my log though."

"Does he go out of town a lot?"

"He didn't use to, but he has a lot lately. But it's not what you think, he said he's up for a teaching job at Penn State. He's been giving a few seminars and lectures there."

Reid glanced at the others. They seemed to be on the same page as him.

"I'll have Garcia contact Penn State, see if his story checks out." Emily stated standing up.

CJ was starting to look impatient. "I really need to get back to work. I wish there was more-"

Unexpectedly, The Office theme song rang through the room. Emily froze in her tracks, looking back at the group. CJ quickly reached into her purse and extracted her cell, checking the caller ID.

"Oh my God, it's him." She exclaimed. "He probably called the office for his messages."

"Answer it," Rossi said quickly. "Try to stay calm; don't tell him where you are."

Nodding, her shaking fingers opened the phone and lifted it to her ear. "Hello?" she asked quickly. "Yes, sir, I know… no, sir, I know I'm not supposed to leave in the middle of the day… I understand, I went to lunch with some friends and lost track of time."

_Nice save_, Reid thought. Still, Andrews might see through it. He watched Rossi scribble on a piece of paper. He handed the note to CJ to read, who responded to Andrews, "Did Dr. Parker give you a number of where she was going to be, I have a message I have to give her…" Panic filled her face as she listened. "I wrote it down, I just need to find it…" She covered the phone with her hand and whispered. "He wants to know what the message is."

Rossi wrote something else and she read it over to him. "A patient of hers was killed the other day and the BAU is investigating his murder… who was it? They didn't say. They said his death is being kept out of the media… What? I don't know what your talking about, sir. I'm not…" she pulled the phone away. "He wants to talk to you, Agent Hotchner."

Hotch took the phone, clicked a few buttons and put it on speaker. "This is Aaron Hotchner." He responded.

"That was a nice try, Agent Hotchner. You almost had me convinced." He sounded genuinely amused. "I know you can't understand my motives, but you have to understand, Aaron, this is for the best."

"Is Riley still alive?" Hotch asked, not wanting to aggravate him or indulge him.

He didn't answer at first. The only sound on the line was his breathing. "Yes," he finally answered. "I assure you, I won't kill her until I have to."

"I don't see any reason for you to have to kill her. She doesn't have anything you want, you haven't asked for anything."

"I know you care for her, Aaron. I know you didn't hurt her, like he did. I'm not going to let anyone hurt her again."

"You are hurting her." Hotch said. "Why did you take those other girls?"

"Stop searching for me, Aaron. Keep your team away from me. Riley is mine, she's always been mine. And tell Dr. Reid, who I know is listening…" Reid leaned forward at his pause. "I will not pursue him. But if he comes after me or if he tries to find her, I will pursue him, I will stop him… and this time, I will make sure he doesn't survive."

He waited a moment, as if expecting Reid to respond. The line was cut and the call ended.


	24. Reid Comes Clean

A/N: Did anybody else watch Law and Order: SVU last night? It was like a twisted version of this story, it was great.

The group gathered in the break room with J.J., Morgan, and Garcia. Each taking a seat; Rossi explained to the others about the conversation they just had.

"At least we know she's still alive," J.J. assured, catching Reid's eye.

"Not for long, though." Hotch said. "We need to know what you found on him. Any red flags?" Hotch asked.

"Well, at first sight, Dr. Andrews is a model doctor. He's never been married, grew up in Stamford, Connecticut. High school valedictorian, graduated in the top 10% of his college class, top 3% of his med school class. He worked at a Manhattan sanitarium for a few years before being recruited by the F.B.I. ten years ago. Now he mostly works with victims. He appears to have a spotless record."

"I sense a 'but' coming," Emily stated.

"How right you are, Ms. Prentiss." She answered. "Being the technological magician that I am, I did a few searches on him, anything fishy he was even suspected to be involved with and I found a sealed police file. I managed to get it unsealed and discovered, drum roll please, not long ago he was accused of kidnapping and multiple rape on a patient of his: Miriam Webster, who was kidnapped and returned home after six days.

"There was no evidence at all. They dismissed it as a disgruntled psych patient and removed her from his treatment. They couldn't dismiss the file because the investigation is still open, but, working for the F.B.I., he managed to convince the department to have it sealed. After reading that, I went back through the list of victims and found two more of his patients on the list. Leslie Hamilton, the most recent victim, and Yvonne Gilmore, one of the two girls discovered, bringing us into the case. From the other girls, I had discovered before that they both had rapists at Havensall. Now, that itself is a coincidence, but the victims were being consoled by therapists who were friends of Andrews."

"When was Miriam kidnapped?" Reid asked. "Was it recent?"

"Uh…" she checked her papers over. "Yes, it was… about two months ago…"

"Right around when you started your therapy." Morgan stated, looking at Reid.

"That's why I was turned over to Riley." Reid explained.

"I don't think the two are related. After all, why would he intentionally hand Reid to her?" inquired Emily.

"That's true; I mean if he knew how close they were going to get…" Morgan added.

"How close exactly have you two gotten?" Rossi interrupted.

The room fell silent, all eyes looking at Reid. The ones in the loop had looks of panic. Reid couldn't make eye contact with anyone. His mind trying to decide what he should say, which would have been easier if everyone wasn't staring at him. Lying may save his career, but it wouldn't help their search and finding Riley was more important.

"Reid, I asked you a question." Rossi urged.

"We haven't exactly… stayed professional… the entire time."

"How unprofessional did you get?" Hotch asked.

"Well, we… talked a lot outside of the office… and we… kissed…"

"Did you sleep with her?"

Still, he couldn't look up from the table. He couldn't bring himself to see what would be in Hotch's eyes. Right here, right now was not the way he would choose to come clean to his boss, particularly with everyone staring at him. And Hotch was another matter entirely… if Hotch really loved Riley, Reid wasn't ready to bring up the triangle they were in.

"Yes," he finally proclaimed.

There wasn't a sound in the room; a pin wouldn't even dare to drop at that moment. Reid could barely stand the tension. "It was only once."

"I figured as much," Hotch said nonchalantly.

Stunned, Reid looked to Hotch at the other end. Both he and Rossi looked calm, taking the news in stride. He looked at Morgan. "Did you guys tell them?"

Morgan retaliated. "I didn't say a word!"

"No one said anything to us. We figured it out ourselves." Hotch calmly announced.

"Reid, did you really think we didn't know?" Rossi added. "We're profilers; we do this for a living."

"Why didn't you say anything, then?" Reid asked.

"We didn't have any proof before." Hotch answered. "Look, we'll worry about the severity of your career later, right now we need to find Riley and it's not going to help anyone if you can't work on the case."

"Okay, so, if he let Miriam go, that could mean she was his rehearsal." Emily announced.

"I thought the other girls were his rehearsal." Morgan said.

"No," Hotch corrected. "The other girls gave him his Fueller illusion, grabbing her attention. Obviously, he was the one that changed the meds on his chart, which he knew would get Fueller out. He tracked him down, killed him and turned into him knowing it would lead Riley to him."

"But then Reid got in the way, which ruined his plan. He was probably plotting this for over a year. In the office, he got to know her; on the outside, he obsessed over her, stalked her, and planned to capture her."

"He's got to be delusional," Morgan said, "He thinks capturing Riley is going to make her love him. He'll be extremely aggressive with her, trying to make her submit to him."

"Which means one of two things will happen. Either he won't be able to break her and he'll end up killing her, or he will be able to break her and once he…" she glanced at Reid cautiously, "… rapes her, he'll realize he has to kill her."

"I would say the former is more likely," Reid said.

"We can't jump to conclusions, Reid." Morgan replied, "We all hate to think what he could do to her-"

"Reid's right," Hotch replied, "You have no idea how unbelievably stubborn she is."

Reid looked at Hotch, the evil jealousy bubbling in his stomach again. He felt the loathing burning behind his eyes. But Hotch had already looked away, thankfully; Reid wasn't sure what would have erupted from his mouth if he caught his eye.

"What information did you get on Miriam?" J.J. asked.

"She was his patient after she was raped by a professor of hers. Her parents claimed she was making great progress under Andrew's care. Then she went missing. She turned up again after 6 days and made her accusation. Since there was no evidence, they took her out of his care."

"Does she still live in Quantico?" Reid asked.

"Yes," Garcia replied, reading off another sheet of evidence. "She dropped out of college after her rape and moved back home. After her kidnapping, she moved in with her grandmother."

"We need to talk to her. Andrews probably took the other girls to the same spot. That might even be where Riley is."

"Why would he let her go, though?" J.J. asked.

"Because he knew her." Rossi explained. "He knew what her parents were like, she might even have had a history of lying and running away. Andrews knew no one would take her seriously. He knew he could perfect his plan with her and get away with it."

"Okay," Hotch said. "Miriam is our only lead. Reid; you, me, Rossi, and J.J. we'll find her and get any information out of her we can. The rest of you, help Garcia track down anyone connected to Andrews: friends, family, enemies, ex-girlfriends, former and current patients of his. I want every detail about this guy."

"We're on it," Emily replied, everyone standing to head to their tasks.

Hotch took the sheet of Miriam Webster's information on it. The four headed out to the elevators, on their way. Hotch looked at Reid, both finally making contact.

Still though, they didn't say a word. Reid couldn't tell what was forming behind Hotch's eyes, but it was a demoralizing stare. As the doors opened, they moved inside, neither deciding to break the silence. Hotch might not be concerned with Reid's career, at least not at the moment… that look was beyond that. He must be furious with both he and Riley, learning that they'd slept together.

Desperately, for all it was worth, Reid wanted to tell him how much he loved her. He knew it was Riley's decision, but he should at least know. He should know how much Reid was willing to fight for her.

"Hotch, I need-"

"Reid, I don't want to go into it right now," He quickly interrupted. "We'll talk about your job when this is over."

"It's not that, this-"

"Whatever it is, don't you think it can wait?"

The doors reopened. Reid slowly nodded. "Yeah… I'm sorry,"

"We will find her. Do you understand? But you need to keep your head in this. We both need to."

It was the silent way of a truce between the two. Reid might not want to work with Hotch. The man he had worked and liked with for years now made him burn with anger and jealousy, but he also knew he was right. Obsessing over this situation wasn't going to save her. If they didn't, there was no one to fight for.

Reid nodded, and the four left the elevator. J.J. reached over to squeeze his arm, showing her support. Each moved to their respected side of the car, off to track the miniscule lead they had.


	25. Miriam's Story

Rossi rang the door bell. The four stood on the porch of a worn, faded brick house. This neighborhood looked run down, like it had been forgotten by society. The streets were clear and snow partially covered the ghastly brown lawns on each property.

The first ring going unanswered, Rossi rang again. An older woman with black and grey hair answered the door, looking cautious.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Ma'am, I'm Agent Rossi," he said, flashing his badge. "These are Agents Jareau and Hotchner and Dr. Reid. We're with the F.B.I."

"What did my granddaughter do now?" she asked, bitter.

"We may have a lead on her case and we need to speak to her. Is she here?"

"She told you what happened and everyone dismissed her. Everyone calls her a liar, even her own parents. You'd all rather protect some malicious rapist than believe an innocent girl."

"Ma'am, we have new evidence that indicates she was telling the truth. It's imperative we speak to her."

She looked over each of them, her eyes lingering on the ailing Reid. "Come on in, I'll see if she's up to it."

Moving aside, she allowed the four agents entrance. The house looked worse than the outside. Brown shag carpeting, worn furniture with stuffing leaking out of several rips, and the subtle hint of cats hung in the air. J.J. and Reid both took a seat on the couch, Hotch and Rossi choosing to remain standing.

"Miriam," the grandmother called as she ran up the stairs. "You need to come down here."

She disappeared from sight, leaving the four alone. Reid looked around the room, taking in the information on this family.

"She might not even talk to us," J.J. said.

"Can you blame her?" Rossi asked. "She probably thinks the F.B.I. is against her."

"Her grandmother might be right, though. I mean if Andrews didn't work for the F.B.I., they wouldn't have taken the claim so lightly, even if there were no evidence."

"You're right, J.J." Hotch said, "It's not a perfect system. It's far from it."

The grandmother made her way back down the steps. "Well, she's not really up to talking to you."

"Mrs. Webster, this is extremely important." J.J. urged. "Maybe if just two of us spoke to her."

She thought for a moment, then pointed up the stairs. "Her room is up and to the left, right next to the bathroom."

"Thank you," J.J. said, grabbing Reid's arm.

"I'm no so sure about him," she interrupted, stopping them.

"I understand that you would be cautious and would be more lineate to allow a woman to question your granddaughter, but the same man that kidnapped and raped Miriam tried to kill me just a few days ago. Out of everyone here, I believe I can relate to her the most."

Reid spoke clearly and calmly. He sounded like his old self again. His words softened the old woman. "Not too long,"

"We understand, Ma'am." J.J. agreed, leading Reid up the stairs.

…………………………

Riley awoke with a churning feeling in her stomach. She felt dizzy and sick. Whatever her stomach was holding definitely did not want to keep it in there. Quickly, she leaned over the edge of the mattress to vomit again.

She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. She could see light poking through a large hole in the ceiling. Clouds were above her. The room was fuzzy and cold. What little warmth was in it before had lessened dramatically. She shivered, the nasty taste of bile in her mouth. Her hair hung off the bed in her recent mess, but she felt so weak and sick she didn't care. Her mind was slightly clearer now than the last few times she had awoken. Her captor would return whenever she awoke. She could remember him talking, hitting her, beating her, and drugging her, but she still couldn't place his face.

Riley tried to move her hands, forgetting they were still bound with duct tape. Footsteps started from the next room and soon her captor was in view again.

"You're awake," he said, leaning down and sitting beside her. "I know you feel awful. I hate putting you through this. I really love you."

Riley wouldn't indulge him. Pain shot through her from all areas of her body. She felt him pull on her bound wrists to put her in a sitting position. Hanging her head, her matted hair fell around her.

"You do believe me, don't you?" He leaned in to kiss her cheek.

But Riley used whatever strength she still maintained and pulled away. The next thing she felt was him smacking her face. Her face stung for a moment, but she remained upright. She had such little fight left, but a small ray of hope thought to try and get back her strength so maybe she could get away.

Forcefully, he grabbed her and tried to force her down. "No," she moaned softly, feeling the blood rush into her face again. She could only image how it looked. Her legs went up and kicked him away.

Her kidnapper didn't take it too lightly and started punching her in the stomach. Riley couldn't even cry, she felt like she was drowning. Gasping for breath, he forced her aside, standing up. Riley leaned over, vomiting again, this time blood.

"Why do you keep making me do this to you?" He asked.

"Please," Riley moaned, her eyes closed as her tears fell. "I just want to die."

He didn't respond, just turned and walked out of the room. Riley kept crying. Her strength wasn't going to hold much longer. But really… she couldn't even think what she was fighting so hard for.

…………………………

"Hi, Miriam," J.J. said, knocking on the bedroom door, which stood ajar. Faced away from them was a young woman with blonde hair. She looked over at them, revealing two greenish yellow bruises on her face.

"I said I didn't want to talk to anyone." She muttered.

"I know, but it's very important we speak with you." J.J. said.

"Why, you'll just call me a liar, too." She turned to stare at the floor, trying to hide her face with her hair.

"Miriam," Reid said, taking a seat next to her on the bed. "My name's Spencer. We know you're telling the truth."

No response. They didn't have time to waste. He had to get to the point and fast. "You know, Dr. Andrews fooled a lot of people."

Nothing. Miriam was as still as a statue. "He's been killing a lot of girls. He has another one now, and it's not going to be long before she's dead, too." Still silent, Reid cleared his throat and continued. "He tired to kill me on Friday night."

That did it. Miriam turned to look at him. Her eyes focused on him. "He did?"

Reid pulled up his shirt to show his stitches. Miriam was transfixed by them. "He stabbed me five times. If my neighbors hadn't heard Riley screaming, they never would have found me and I'd be dead."

"Riley?" she asked, looking up.

Reid put his shirt back down. "She's… Andrews' next victim."

Tears were falling down her cheeks now, and Miriam shook her head. She seemed to be fighting with herself to relive it again. Reid breathed deeply, staying calm. "You're parents didn't believe you, that must really hurt."

"Yeah," she said.

"But your grandmother is there for you."

She nodded. "I don't know what I'd do without her."

"She really loves you. It must drive her crazy knowing someone hurt you and he's not paying for it." Her face turned to him, curious. Reid took a look at J.J., watching them both intently.

"Do you have a point, Spencer?" Miriam asked.

"You know how much your grandmother loves you? Well, that's how much I love Riley. You know what she's going through, but she's not going to be let go like you were."

Miriam started crying even harder. She nodded. "Okay," she sobbed lightly. "I'll help you."

"Where did he keep you?" J.J. asked.

"Uh…" sniffling, "It was some sort of cabin. A really old, run down one. There was graffiti all over the walls. I spent my time in one room. On a dirty mattress. There was a fire in the next room. He kept me drugged most of the time."

J.J. found a box of tissues and handed one to her. "Thank you," she said, wiping her nose.

"What do you remember? Anything you can recall will help."

"The clear moments that I do remember, he would beat me and punch me. He forced water down my throat a few times, but never any food. The drugs made me feel nauseas and I kept throwing up." She dabbed at her eyes and took a deep breath. "After a few nights, he raped me over and over. When he was done, he dragged me out of the house. He kept me conscious and eventually I walked on my own. We made it to a lake. He cut off the duct tape… and shoved me into the water, and then ran. When I managed to climb out, he was gone.

"I heard cars in the distance and followed the sound. I walked for what must have been an hour when I tripped. I realized it was tombstones. I was in a graveyard. I lay there for awhile, thinking this was the most appropriate place to die. I was just so tired and weak. Finally, I got up and I made it to the highway just as the sun was coming up. A man in a blue pickup stopped and drove me into town."

"Do you remember any signs while you were driving? Anything? Speed limits? City signs? Billboards?" J.J. asked.

She shook her head. "No, I… I wasn't paying attention. Wait…" she looked to J.J. urgently. "He stopped at a diner. He went inside for about fifteen minutes and then brought out two coffees."

"Do you remember the name?" Reid asked.

She thought for a moment. "I think it was called Lisa Marie's…"


	26. Charlotte St Claire

Mrs. Webster showed them out the door a moment later. "You are going to catch this bastard, right?" She asked.

"We're going to try." Hotch said. "Thank you for everything, Ma'am."

Everyone went to get into the car. Before he got in, Reid went to speak quickly to her. "Miriam may have saved a woman's life. You should be very proud of her."

"We'll both do better once you catch him."

"Me, too." He said, opening the car door. "Thanks again."

Hotch started the car, making their way back to the B.A.U.

…………………………

Now the clock was ticking. Each second wasted was a precious one. The ride back seemed to take hours. Reid immediately wanted to head to the diner and start searching, but it could take hours to try and track down the direction that way. They had the landmarks – the lake, the cemetery, the diner – it was all a matter of Garcia linking them together.

Thinking back, he felt a consciousness of longing. The same place he'd seen Riley for the first time. He wondered if Andrews had been watching them that day. His mind racing, Reid's heart beat grew faster. It couldn't be safe nor wise for his blood pressure to get this exerted after suffering such severe trauma, but considering his circumstances, he couldn't help it.

At long last, they made it back to the station and into the conference room. Rossi and Hotch went to track down the others, leaving J.J. and Reid alone.

"You look awful, Reid," J.J. said. "I think we should take you back to the hospital."

"Are you insane? When we're this close?"

"You need rest. We know where to find her now, isn't that enough?"

"Do you really think I can rest, just waiting for you to get to her?"

She looked almost angry at him, but instead, rolled her eyes. "You're going straight to bed as soon as we find her."

"Fine," Reid answered, knowing she was just concerned for him. He lightly touched his stomach, the Ibuprofen slowly wearing off. "J.J." he said, feeling the stitches through his shirt, his eyes focused on nothing.

"Yeah?"

"What if we can't get to her?"

"We know where to look now, we'll find her."

"Yeah, I didn't mean that, I mean… what if we don't find her in time?"

"You can't think like that." Sympathetically stroking his arm. "If you don't stay focused, you will lose her. We are so close, don't think about the ifs now."

Just then, the others minus Garcia walked in. "Alright," Hotch said, "Garcia's tracking down the location of the cabin. What did you guys find?"

"Absolutely nothing," Emily announced. "And by nothing, I mean…"

"Nothing," Morgan finished. "This guy barely has a paper trail. His parents are dead, he has no siblings, and as for friends and enemies, it's like he's been a loner since birth. No activities in school, no social groups, the most we could find were a few support groups he hosted in New York."

"Although, we think we may have found his stresser. Garcia managed to discover a former fiancée of his. They were engaged for years; why they never got married, we'll never know, but it turns out, she ended up leaving him for a patient. It was about a year ago."

"That could definitely fit the time frame. Riley's worked at the F.B.I. for at least a year, right?" J.J. inquired.

"Right," both Hotch and Reid said together at once. Both surprised, they glanced up at each other.

Their locked gaze was broken as Garcia rushed in. "I got it." She exclaimed. "I tracked down the graveyard that Miriam Webster tripped in. There are three along the highway near Lisa Marie's Diner. The most likely match is here," she inserted a pin on the map, everyone got up to get a better look. "It's about half a mile from a lake and it hasn't been open to burials since the early 20th century. Mostly, cops report finding teenagers using it for drinking, drugs, séances, other naughty activities. I researched a little further and it appears that while it was in operation, so was a church about five miles in the woods called Charlotte St. Claire, which closed down just before WWI. Now, it's occupied by the same people that dwell in the cemetery."

"That's it," Reid exclaimed. "She's got to be in that church. Miriam said she remembered graffiti on the walls. And Andrews could even have found some of his victims there."

The sun was beginning to set outside, and no one within this highly skilled team believed Riley would last another night. "J.J., call for backup to meet us there along with an ambulance. Morgan, Emily, and Reid, you're with me."

"And tell them to not use the sirens, just get there as fast as they can." Reid added.

"Don't use the sirens?" Rossi repeated.

"If he hears us coming, he'll kill her. He won't let anyone take her from him. We have to sneak up on him, it's her only chance."

And with that, the group of profilers rushed out of the room. By the time they returned, they would either be victorious or miserably defeated.

…………………………

They passed the diner; its parking lot almost completely filled. Reid sat in the back seat with Emily. He watched as the sky turned darker and darker. No stars glowed over head. It was overcast.

They drove for another five minutes, approximately, before Hotch pulled onto the shoulder. He turned slowly, pulling into the woods.

"We can't drive too far in; we don't want to risk him seeing the headlights." He explained, going slowly.

Lowering their windows, the cold, frigid air whooshed in. The smell of fresh snow hung in the air. Another storm was heading in.

"It'll be hard to walk there in this snow. Especially if we can't use flashlights," Morgan stated.

"Just pray the next blizzard holds off until we're completely out of there." Hotch said.

"Look, that's got to be the lake there," Emily exclaimed. "We should stop here."

The others agreed. Hotch dimmed the headlights, giving them a soft glow, barely enough to give any help. Everyone got out of the car, not daring to slam their doors too hard.

"What's the plan?" Morgan asked, watching as Emily helped Reid slip on his vest.

"You and Prentiss better wait for the back up here. Reid and I will head up first, see if we can take Andrews."

"Why don't you get to the church and wait for the backup?"

"The less people there are walking outside, the less likely he'll hear us. If you hear gunshots, do not come after us unless we call you in."

Reluctantly, Emily and Morgan agreed. They didn't like this plan. But they didn't have to like this plan. Everyone there knew the odds of coming out alive after facing a maniac like this, and Riley's chances were even worse. With one last look at each other, the four parted ways. This was it.

Not long, the support from the headlights was gone and they were in the dark. Their best bet was a straight line. Once they came in contact with the firelight from the building, they could change their direction as needed. Reid's hand hung on his gun, ready to pull it out immediately.

"There," Hotch whispered, pointing further up to the hill, slightly northeast. Reid nodded, following Hotch's own actions, who already had his gun at the ready.

"I'll go through the front door," he whispered. "You find the backdoor or one on the side and try to sneak in. It might be easier to find Riley that way. If you can get her out, do it. Don't wait for me."

"We should stick together, what if Andrews sneaks up on you?"

"I'll distract him while you get her help."

"And if he kills you?"

"Then I guess you don't have to worry about your job anymore," Hotch explained.

With each nearing step, they became self conscious of the snow crunching under their feet. They tried to stifle the noise, but to them it was as loud as fire crackers; it seemed impossible that Andrews wouldn't hear them.

The plan commenced. Hotch poised himself at the front door, waiting for Reid to go around. It didn't take long to find a side door. The church was old. It seemed more like a former home than a place of worship. His gun up and ready, Reid pulled the door open. Since the place was so worn down, the door couldn't close properly. Andrews had no chance of locking anyone out.

Inside was dark and gloomy. He had to be on a different level than Miriam had described. Allowing his eyes to adjust to the dark, he searched anxiously. His breathing seemed louder than it had ever been. Blocking out the terror that Andrews was going to sneak up on him in the dark, he moved among the room.

Crossing into another, equally dark room, he finally located a set of stairs. A door at the top looked to stand ajar. He wished she knew he was coming; she just had to hang on a little longer. Reid took a deep breath. Gradually, he began up the steps. He kept his footsteps light, careful not to make a creak.


	27. Hail Mary

…She knew it was dark. She knew she was cold. How long she'd been lying there, she wasn't sure. It felt like years. Her entire body ached and she felt something thick and warm dripping into her eyes.

The room seemed empty. Riley was facing the wall. The light was even softer; the fire must be dying down. He won; she didn't have the strength to fight him off another time. Closing her eyes, she tried to fall asleep before he came back, praying this was the last time she'd wake up. At least then, she could be with Spencer…

…………………………

Coming up from the basement, Reid carefully pushed the door open and looked around. It looked like some sort of kitchen, his visibility now fully adjusted to the darkness. There was an old wood burning stove knocked over, the brown, dirty walls covered in grotesque spray paint mixed with paint ball splotches. Andrews could be anywhere now. As badly as he wanted to make him pay, Riley had to be suffering. His only concern was once he had her, how was he supposed to sneak her past Andrews if Hotch hadn't caught up to him yet?

He moved from the kitchen into a long hallway. A dim light came from a room at the end of the hall. That had to be the fire Miriam talked about. The doors had been ripped off every room. Peaking in each one, he found them unoccupied, holding only empty beer bottles, cigarette packs, and other various bits of garbage and debris. No sign of Andrews. No sign of Riley.

Reid kept his gun at the ready, prepared to defend himself should he encounter their unsub. His hands were shaking, afraid he might pull the trigger prematurely. He hadn't been this nervous since his first case. Swallowing his fear, he attempted to regain control and moved closer to the source of light.

It was the chapel. A small room, with a few pews still in their place, but mostly it looked completely abandoned. A dying bonfire was set up where the altar used to be, the smoke heading up to the ceiling. The roof had caved in in several areas, revealing the overcast sky. He glanced around. The front door was open, but Hotch was no where to be seen. This was too eerie. Where the hell was every-

Before he could finish his thought, a great force came into contact with his stomach, knocking him off his feet. His hand managed to hold onto his gun as he lost his balance. Struggling for breath, he rolled over, finding Andrews hovering over him.

"I new you'd find your way here eventually; I was counting on it." Andrews said, moving closer. Reid wanted to shoot him, but fighting to breathe prevented him from doing so.

Andrews reached down and picked up the gun. Reid closed his eyes, preparing for the bang. It was over. Andrews won after all.

"Open your eyes, you coward. I want to see the life leave you."

Quickly mustering whatever remained in his sore muscles, Reid abled himself to pull away far enough to get back on his feet. He coughed for a moment, the two men staring each other down. Reid's gun aimed straight at his forehead.

"Where is she?" he asked calmly.

"She's dead." He answered quickly.

"I don't believe you," he replied, hoping it was truly only a bluff. "You wouldn't kill her. You love her."

"You're not going to trick me, kid," He answered, stepping closer. "You're too weak. I'm going to kill you and then I will kill her so no one can take her from me. Ever."

He had one shot at this. "You don't want to kill her. What will you do with yourself once she's dead?"

"Don't!" he yelled. "You're not going to take her away!"

"Sam," he lifted his hands in front of him, as if to surrender. "The only reason I'm here is to save her. You don't want her to die. Do you?"

He didn't answer. His hands gripped the gun more tightly. At any minute, he could pull that trigger. Reid's mind began to work; faster than even he could think possible.

"I know how much you love her. Because I love her that much, too."

"No you don't! No one loves her more than me!"

"Alright, I agree with you, maybe you do love her more than I do." He said, taking a step closer. "But it's irrelevant. She doesn't love you that way. She doesn't love me that way, either… she loves someone else."

He let Reid's words sink in. He shook his head, slowly at first, than faster with determination. "No, she loves me."

Reid could feel his pulse quickening, his heart ready to burst from his gun vest. "No, she doesn't love either of us. But," he took another step, putting his life in Fate's hands. "I want her to be happy. I love her so much, and I want her to feel the same way I do for her. And if that means she has to be with someone else, if it means I never get to have her… then I can let her go." He paused, breathing, trying to slow his heart rate down. "And you have to let her go, too. Please, will you let her go?"

Andrews seemed softened by his words. Reid was skeptical that the words would actually reach him. After all, this was a Hail Mary. He waited for Andrews to lower his gun.

"I can let her go." Andrews said. "But you're not going to be so lucky."

Instinctively, Reid closed his eyes and heard the gun go off. He waited; waited for the searing pain and the hot lead to pierce his body. It was an execution shot, it wouldn't take long. He waited for it all to end.

…It never came. Reid opened his eyes. He looked to Andrews in time to see him drop Reid's gun. He fell over, face down on the floor, a bullet hole in the back of his head…

Looking up, Reid's eyes met the hallway and saw a figure standing in the darkness. Gun poised, the shape moved into the light, revealing Aaron Hotchner.

"Thank you," Reid said, relief flowing through him.

"Good job, Reid," he said sincerely, putting his gun back in its hostler. "Did you find her?"

"Not yet," he answered.

"Keep looking, I'm going to call in the others."

Reid nodded, going to Andrews to retrieve his gun. He stuck it back in his belt. He rushed from the chapel into the first exit he hadn't tried.

He moved among the hallways, trying to see, but each room was empty. "Riley?" he called, unsure she could even answer. "Riley, can you hear me?"

Each empty room took away the relief and replaced it with panic. "She's got to be here," Reid said. "He wouldn't be here without her."

The sirens sounded in the distance. He caught the flashing lights through the window. The police and the ambulance would be here soon. He went back into the chapel, trying to back track. Where was she?

His eyes scanned the area. There, off to the side of the hallway was another room. He hadn't been in there yet. He ran in swiftly, his eyes meeting a heartbreaking sight.

The first thing that hit him was the smell. He probably hadn't moved her in days, along with his other victims. A motionless body draped in black curly hair lay on a dirty mattress. Reid ran to her. No, they couldn't have been too late.

"Riley," he whispered, trying to pull her face to his. "Riley, wake up, please."

Her wrists were bound with duct tape and her body was covered in blood and bruises. A fresh cut was on the top of her head, dripping blood into her eyes. He reached to her neck to feel her pulse.

Faint, but it was there. She was cold, too cold. She didn't have much time. He shook her gently. "Riley," he whispered again. "Come on, you have to wake up."

Uttering a hushed moan, she moved faintly in his direction. Reid sighed, relieved. She was still with him. "Open your eyes, Riley. Come on, wake up."

She expressed another, painful moan, and slowly allowed her eyes to open; glassy and foggy. Reid pushed back her hair, hoping she would recognize him.

A moment; they seemed to focus.

"Spencer?" she muttered.

"Yeah," he nodded, trying not to cry. "It's me."

She stared at him another moment, then smiled dazedly. "I must be in Heaven."

He laughed shortly, his nerves getting to him. "Come on," he said, cautiously slipping his arms under her frail body. He slipped her bond arms around his neck. "We're getting you out of here."

She closed her eyes again, feeling him lift her into the air. She wasn't too heavy, and under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be a problem at all. Reid was still fragile himself and carrying this weight with injured abdominals was difficult. Still, he had to get her to the ambulance.

He adjusted her weight and began to head out. He felt Riley gently nuzzle his neck. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he said, moving through the chapel to the front door. He leaned down brushing his lips on her forehead.

"I threw up… in my hair," Her throat sounded dry and hoarse. "Does my hair smell bad?"

Her entire body reeked, but Reid couldn't bring himself to tell her that. "No, it smells wonderful."

She nestled into the crook of his shoulder, Reid held her tighter, feeling her fingers entwine themselves in his hair. Bringing her down the steps, the first of the snow began to fall, surrounding them in an elegant swirl of white flakes. Reid was starting to feel dizzy, but ignored it. Everyone else was waiting for them out there.

"How is she?" Hotch asked, rushing to them. The EMTs bringing a gurney over.

"She's really weak," he said, staring at Snow White in his arms, watching as the frosty shavings landed in her hair and on her face. It was just like the night they walked home. Of course, this time her sparkling eyes were covered with purple eyelids, her face covered in bruises. Her pink lips now chapped and blue. "She needs help."

They EMTS steadied the gurney right next to him, but Reid didn't move. Everyone waited for him to lay her down. He continued to stare at her, holding her body close to his.

"Reid," Morgan said, moving next to him. "Put her on the gurney."

He didn't move, like his body had taken control. As long as he held her, no one could get to her. No one would hurt her again.

"Reid, let her go." Morgan urged. "You have to put her down now."

His senses came to him. Reid gave in, lowering her onto the gurney. Gently, he slipped her arms off from around his neck and stepped away, allowing the professionals to do their job. The EMTs started working on her before pulling her into the ambulance. Morgan pulled him aside from the commotion. Emily joined them as Morgan helped the injured boy slip off the gun vest. Once he was free, she wrapped her arms around him.

"You did it Reid." She said. "She's going to be okay now."

Reid held her for a moment, the lightheaded sensation growing stronger. She pulled away and Morgan suddenly looked concerned.

"Prentiss, what is all over your shirt?" he asked.

Confused, Emily looked down… finding a stain of blood had formed on her blue blouse. Her eyes traveled from the stain over to Reid's stomach and gasped.

"Oh my God, Reid, you're bleeding." she said.

He looked down, but could barely focus his eyes. He touched the stain, looking at the blood on his fingers. "I guess I… tore my stitches…" He mumbled, loosing his balance. He felt Morgan and Emily prevent him from the fall as he blacked out once more.


	28. Riley's Lie

Uttering a moan, Reid awoke in another white, clean room. The hospital again. He took a deep breath; the pain in his stomach decreased a considerable degree. For the first time in days, he felt rested. He was hooked to an IV. Looking around, he realized he wasn't alone.

Emily was flipping through a magazine, unaware he was conscious. "Hey," he said softly. His throat was dry.

Emily looked up quickly. She smiled, setting the reading material aside. "Hey," she repeated. "How do you feel?"

"Not too bad. Where is everyone?"

"Home. I drew the short straw."

"Sorry I ruined your night," he replied lightheartedly. "Where's Riley?"

"I haven't heard anything; I've been here the whole time."

"Damn," he muttered. "Why am I here again?"

"Don't you remember?" She asked. "You tore your stitches carrying Riley out of the building. You were losing blood. Morgan and I drove you here."

"Oh, yeah. Thanks for that." he said, pulling himself further upright. "I feel a lot better though. I barely feel any pain."

"Well, they… Hotch had the doctors put you on some pain meds. It's a low dose," she added quickly, seeing the nervous look on his face. "They're monitoring you and they'll make sure you're weaned off them before you're discharged."

Still nervous, he nodded, understanding. "How long was I asleep?"

"About sixteen hours. It's almost noon. The others will be here soon."

No sooner had she said it that J.J. walked in. She smiled warmly at Reid and rushed over to give him a hug. "You're awake," she exclaimed. "You look much better. How do you feel?"

"Better," He replied.

J.J. set some clothes on his bed. "CSU cleared your apartment. You'll be able to go back there when you're discharged."

"And this time, you're not going home until you're ready," Emily said sternly.

"Those gowns are really uncomfortable. I went to your place to get you some sweats and a t-shirt to wear. We'll bring you some other things later."

"Thanks," He said.

"I also spoke to Riley's doctors."

Anxiously, Reid held his breath, unsure what he was about to hear. "How is she?"

J.J. smiled. "She's going to be fine. They said there was no evidence of rape, thankfully. But he did a real number on her. She needed about five stitches on her head and they fixed the internal bleeding, which was caused by two broken ribs. Most of her body is covered in bruises from his beatings… some were so severe he broke the skin, and her wrist has a hairline fracture. She was also pretty dehydrated… they said if you'd been there an hour later, it might have been too late."

"But she's okay? I mean… she's going to be okay?"

"Yes," she replied. "She's still unconscious, and they think she'll probably be out for awhile. The cut on her head was pretty deep; they don't know how much she's going to remember."

"The less she remembers the better, if you ask me." Emily added.

"She's okay," he repeated in a whisper, resting his head back on the pillow. His eyes closed, listening to the girls talk. He could sleep now.

…………………………

About an hour later, Reid felt strong enough to change into the clothes J.J. brought. He had to agree, they were much more comfortable than the gown. He tenderly made his way out of the restroom, about to climb back into bed.

"Nope," Garcia called as she rushed in. "Don't even think about lying down."

"What are you doing here?" he asked as she gave him a delicate hug.

"Everybody's here," she said. "They're waiting for you in the hall."

"Everyone?"

"Well, Rossi thought it was best someone stay at the B.A.U., just in case and Hotch… well, he decided to stay behind. But the rest of us came by to see you and we have a surprise for you."

"I'm not sure I'm up for surprises," Reid said, but still allowing Garcia to lead him to the door.

Sure enough, in the hallway stood both J.J. and Emily now joined by Morgan. "Hey, kid," he said as he stepped out. "You look much better. How are you feeling?"

"Underdressed." He replied, getting a laugh from everyone. "Um… listen you guys, I want to say something. Firstly, I want to say thank you. I never could have done this without all of you. And… I never would have survived without you guys looking out for me." He took a deep breath. His stomach started to hurt, but not from his wounds. "You guys… you're the closest thing I have to a family. And I really couldn't ask for a better family." He felt very self-conscious now, especially in his pajamas. "Okay, you can stop staring at me now."

"We love you, too Reid." Emily said, giving him a hug. J.J. followed suit and Morgan wrapped his arm around him in a half embrace.

"Now, le's go. We're taking you on a little trip."

"Is she awake?" Reid asked as they lead him down the hall, knowing full well where they were heading.

"Not yet. They don't want her having very long visits, but we thought you'd want to be the first person she sees when she does wake up."

They lead him to the elevator and up to the seventh floor, the trauma ward. Reid recognized it from the week before, during his first stay. Halfway down the way, J.J. opened a door and helped him inside. Reid's stomach flipped over as he saw her.

Though she did look better than when he found her, Riley was a heartbreaking sight. Most of her face was covered in blue and purple. Someone had cleaned her up and washed her hair, as well as stitched up her head. Her wrist was wrapped in a cast.

At least she was sleeping. The rhythm on the EKG machine was normal and steady; she had twice as many intravenous tubes as Reid did. The girls stayed in the hall while Morgan helped him over to a chair next to her bed, careful with his stand.

"We've got to get back to work, Reid. We'll come by and see you tonight."

"Okay," he said absentmindedly, never taking his eyes off her.

…………………………

Hotch sat in his office, finishing the usual mounds of paperwork on the case. He kept getting distracted, thinking of Riley in that hospital bed. But she would be okay. He'd be able to talk to her when she woke up.

"Hotch," Rossi said, knocking on the open door, pulling Hotch from his thoughts. "We need to figure out what we're going to do."

"I know," he said. He leaned back in his chair. "What do you think we should do?"

Rossi took a seat on the other side of the desk. "We can't just sweep this under the rug. If they find out about this, we'll be in just as much trouble as they will."

Hotch heaved a heavy sigh. "They're both good kids, they don't deserve this. Riley worked so hard to get that license and now she'll probably lose it."

"You don't know that, if she presents her case to board, they might just suspend her for awhile. Probably even just put her on probation. Doctors have gotten less for worse."

"True," Hotch replied. "But Reid… is another story."

"Strauss would have a field day if she found out we did nothing." Rossi agreed. "We have to fire him."

"There really is no other way?"

"Not unless Riley claims she seduced him. And even then, it would be hard to prove an F.B.I. agent was taken advantage of by a female doctor, as sexist as it may be."

"Alright," Hotch gave in. "We'll let him know when he gets out of the hospital."

…………………………

Late afternoon. Reid had been resting his eyes, still waiting. He was getting hungry, the first time he'd been hungry in days. It didn't matter, though; he wasn't leaving until she was conscious.

As dusk began to set in, Reid watched as Riley uttered a groan, moving slightly. He sat up restlessly, watching with anticipation. Groaning again, she opened her eyes.

"Oh, my head," she moaned, blinking quickly as her pupils adjusted to the light. She looked around and saw Reid staring at her. She didn't seem to register the matter at hand.

"What are you doing here? Better question, where is 'here'?" she asked.

"St. Anne's," Reid said, standing up. He carefully went and took a seat on her bed.

She blinked again, trying to solve her confusion. "You look awful. What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" he asked.

She sighed, trying to recall. "Oh, my head is killing me."

"Take your time," he assured, patting her bandaged wrist gently.

Her eyes on the ceiling, she thought back to the last few days. "I remember… some building… a mattress… someone was hitting me…"

"Okay, think to before that. What is the last clear moment you remember?"

Her eyes darted to the left, as most eyes did when the mind looks back through the memory. "Your… your apartment…" her eyes snapped to him. "You were trying to comfort me… And then Sam showed up at… your… door…" Her breathing became shallow; her eyes started to water as she leaned up and wrapped her arms slowly around Reid. The realization hit her. "Oh, my God… oh, my God, Spencer!"

"It's okay," he whispered, feeling his own tears forming. "It's all over now."

"I thought he killed you," she sobbed. "He told me you were dead." She pulled away from him, looking in his eyes as if disbelieving he were really alive. Her hand rested on his cheek. "There was so much blood… But he stabbed you! I saw him!"

Reid pulled back to show her what was under his shirt. She gasped at all his stitches, lightly touching them with her good hand. "Oh, Spencer, I'm so sorry," She cried into his shoulder.

"This wasn't your fault." He assured her, massaging her on the back affectionately.

She continued crying, gripping him close to her. It hurt, but the pain was worth it. "I'm sorry," she said again. "I'm so sorry."

Her hysterics calming lightly, her fingers running into his hair. "Spencer… I lied."

"Lied about what?" He asked, mystified. "You… didn't see him stab me?"

"No, I mean… that's not what I'm talking about." Her head came back up to look him in the eye again. "I lied… when I said I didn't love you."

Now would have been a great time to say something, but Reid felt his throat close and his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth. This wasn't happening. Any minute now, he was going to wake up, in the hospital, wishing this were true. He must have lost more blood than he thought.

"I was scared. I had never felt like this for anyone before, and worse you're my patient. I just got so scared. And… sleeping together was wrong, we shouldn't have done it… but if we were given the chance, I'd do it all over again. I'm in love with you… I've been in love with you since you spit all over my carpet."

Reid just stared at her. This had to be too good to be true.

"Say something," she whispered, fear growing in her eyes. Fear from becoming so vulnerable.

Reaching with his hand, he wiped off her bruised cheeks. Slowly, he leaned in and gently kissed her. She gasped, taken aback by the gesture. Then she responded, her lips joining his, his tears mixing with hers.


	29. What About Reid

Reid was discharged a few days later, on the pretense that he stay on bed rest for the next two weeks. Though both Morgan and J.J. offered to let him stay with them, he opted to go back to his place. They'd already done enough for him.

He wasn't alone. Almost everyone called and stopped by to check on him at odd times during each day. All except Hotch. Though, he figured, the longer he avoided him, the longer he would still have a job. Besides, there were other problems he wasn't ready to confront him about yet.

Reid and Riley didn't talk much. Since she was in so much pain, she was on a sizeable dose of medication and anytime he did get her on the phone, she was too groggy to talk for long. He had no chance to ask her what the situation with Hotch was yet. Besides, he wouldn't want to discuss it over the phone, anyway.

She loved him. That was all that mattered to him now. They would be able to figure out everything. He might lose his job, but he could handle it. Having her was worth it.

As luck would have it, at the end of the two weeks, Riley was getting discharged from the hospital. She was granted six weeks off for sick leave, which would give them three weeks to spend together before he was back at the B.A.U. He'd be out of the field for an additional few weeks, working on the cases in Quantico with Garcia.

The afternoon of her release, Reid, feeling like his old self, decided to surprise her. He'd pick her up from the hospital and take her home. Her place was still a mess, but they would clean it up later and spend the evening together. Everything would be perfect. On the way to St. Anne's, he picked up a dozen roses for her. A cliché, perhaps, but he knew she'd like it.

The hospital wasn't busy at all that afternoon. He headed straight for Riley's room, finding the door opened. Before he could even walk in, he found a distressing scene taking place.

Riley was dressed in her usual outfit, a lavender blouse and knee-length skirt, packing her bag for her departure. She wasn't alone though. Reid heard a man talking. He moved to the side so as not to be noticed, just as Hotch came into sight.

"Well, thank God; I don't have to go back right away. I can't stand looking like this." She turned to face him. "Is it as bad as I think it is?"

"No," Hotch said, brushing her cheek with his thumb. "It'll heal. You're already getting back to your old self."

"Thanks," she replied, trying to pick another bag off the floor with her good hand. She didn't have the strength.

"Let me take that," he said. "You don't want to injure those ribs any further." She sat on the edge of the bed, folding a couple of her camisoles that lay in a pile. "Have you thought about what we talked about?"

"Yes," she said sternly. "And I'm not going back on it, Aaron. I have made my decision."

"I just want to make sure." He answered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Because I don't want you to give up something that makes you happy."

"And I appreciate that. Really, I do." She gripped his arm just as affectionately. "But this is the smart decision. It's the safe route… for both of us."

"You've never been one to take the safe route, though."

"I must be growing up. And sometimes when you grow up, you have to make sacrifices, even if it means giving up something you love."

"And what about Reid? You haven't told him yet, have you?"

She hesitated at first. "Uh… no. I was hoping… you might tell him for me?"

"Riley-"

"Well, I'm just afraid if I tell him… he'll convince me to change my mind. But if you tell him… by the time he does confront me, it'll be over and done with."

Hotch sighed, thinking it over for a moment. "Alright, I'll tell him. I called for him to come in tomorrow morning. I'll do it then." He leaned down and kissed her forehead lovingly. "I think we're just about ready to go."

But Reid didn't wait around for an answer. Without a word, he headed back down the hallway.

So that was it. Riley loved Reid, she had said it herself, but instead she chose Aaron Hotchner. Apparently, he was the safe route. Apparently, he wouldn't break her heart. How could she ever think he would love her as much as Reid would?

She didn't even have the guts to tell him to his face. She was making Hotch do it for her. After all he'd done for her, after everything she'd said to him. He must have been crazy to think Riley Parker could really love him.

He pushed open the hospital doors and quickly left, heading down the street. His anger rising, he tossed the roses into the street, petals mixing with the slush and sludge.

…………………………

Reid arrived at the B.A.U. on time that morning. Everyone was pleased to see him. He put on a neutral face, not ready to let them know he had just had his heart broken. Again.

"New case yet?" He asked, leaning against his desk.

"No, J.J. is supposed to have one for us tomorrow. We'll let you know where we're going." Emily replied.

"Reid," Hotch called from his office door. "You can come in now."

He knew this had to be about his job. He didn't know if they could fire him while on sick leave, but that wasn't his concern right now. In fact, he hoped he was getting fired so he could tell Hotch exactly what he thought of him without consequence.

"Take a seat, Reid," Hotch said calmly.

Not a good sign. It was hard to hide his detest and hatred for this man, but he had to stay composed. For now.

"I'm sure you have some idea why I asked you here." Hotch said.

"I have some suspicions." He answered scathingly. "I'm fired, right?"

"No," Hotch answered.

"That's what I thought, now let me-… wait. Did you just say 'no'?"

"I did." He answered seriously.

Flabbergasted, Reid wasn't sure how to respond to that. He opened his mouth, but couldn't find the words to say.

"We were going to fire you," Hotch explained. "It was what we had to do, Reid. You have to understand, we can't just ignore what you told us."

"But… you are ignoring it."

"Not exactly. As of 8 a.m. this morning, Dr. Riley Parker is no longer a psychiatrist in her department, meaning she's no longer your psychiatrist. She requested a transfer and I had Garcia fast track it through the system."

"She's quitting the F.B.I.?" Reid was shocked.

"No, she's been transferred to another department. She's going to be assisting the police department, interviewing victims, witnesses, suspects, helping them in their cases."

"So… I'm not in trouble?"

"If the Board finds out, you both will probably be pulled in for questioning, but since you won't be involved with her anymore as a patient, it's less likely they'll find out. And I can't fire you if she's not your therapist anymore."

"So… I'm not fired?"

"No," he repeated. "And that's really it, Reid. We'll see you in three weeks, then?"

Nodding, Reid started to stand up. "That's… all you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes, Reid,"

"You're sure?"

"Yes, Reid, I am sure." Hotch seemed to be getting annoyed.

This was confusing. Hotch wouldn't just forget this, but he didn't know how to bring it up. He didn't want to reveal he'd heard their conversation. Standing slowly, he absentmindedly headed towards the door.

His eyes quickly glanced at the wall. Two degrees from Harvard University, one undergrad, one from law school. Impressive. He eyes quickly read over the degree underneath. Hotch's high school diploma.

"John Adams' High School?" Reid read aloud, stopping in his tracks. He looked back at Hotch, who was busying himself with his work again.

And suddenly, everything made sense.

"You're the brother." He announced.

"Excuse me?" Hotch asked, glancing up, knowing perfectly well what he meant.

"Riley told me a friend of her dad's had a brother who went to Harvard. It's you, isn't it?"

"Sean and Evan Parker were best friends. I've know Riley most of her life, but I didn't get to know her until I had to interview her for Harvard, when she was seventeen. I kept in touch with her in college and helped her get a job with the F.B.I. We've become very close over the years."

"I thought you guys were dating." Reid explained, sitting back down. "No wonder she got so angry."

"I care very deeply about Riley, Reid." He said. "So you can understand why I was so concerned about her. She's like a daughter to me."

"But I heard you guys talking yesterday. I… I came by to take her home and I overheard your conversation. She said she was taking the safe route, and it was the smart decision… and she couldn't tell me."

"The safe route being that neither of you would get in trouble. It was the smart decision because this way, you wouldn't lose your job and she wouldn't lose her license. And if she told you-"

"She was afraid I'd talk her out of it." He understood. "Which I would have."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Reid finally got up to leave. "See you in three weeks," he answered.

A/N: I'm actually a little surprised no one figured that out (or if you did, you didn't say anything.) There's still another chapter so stay tuned!


	30. The Best Kiss of Your Life

A/N: Any House fans catch the finale last night? It's about time!

Three weeks came and went. Reid returned to work, stitch free. During his time off, at various time, he'd picked up the phone to call Riley, but he just couldn't bring himself to finish dialing. He didn't know what to say to her. Thank you; I love you; I'm sorry I was a moron. The possibilities were endless.

While the rest headed to Albany, Reid and Garcia worked the case from the unit. The second day of the case, he arrived at 8 a.m., heading to her office. He had to admit, working from home had a lot of down time and could be extremely boring. He looked forward to being able to travel again in a few weeks. His thoughts were disrupted as he entered the office, startled by the sight.

Riley was there, in mid-conversation with Garcia. Her face was almost completely clear. Her wrist was still bandaged. She looked just as alarmed when Reid walked in, standing up to greet him.

"Hi," she said nervously.

"Hey," he said, just as edgy. "What are you… what are you doing here?"

"Just talking to Penelope while waiting for you."

"What for?"

"Oh, thank you very much, Reid." Garcia said.

"I meant why is she waiting for me." He clarified. "Why are you?"

"Well, I knew you were back at work and… I just wanted to talk to you really quick. We haven't gotten a real chance… you know, in awhile." She paused, swallowing her nerves down.

She stepped closer to him. Both noticed Garcia pretend to busy herself on the computers. "Should we go in the hallway?"

"No, this is fine," he said, pulling her away slightly. "There's less people to eavesdrop, here."

"I'm not eavesdropping," Garcia said quickly, pretending to look through her papers.

They both smiled and went back to their conversation. "You look so much better," he said.

"You, too," she agreed.

"Still pretty sore?"

"Yeah, mostly just the broken bones." She replied. "They wanted to give me Tramadol, but I don't like to take it, it makes me really sleepy."

"Yeah," he answered. It sounded stupid, but he didn't really know what to say.

"Hotch told me he talked to you… that he… explained everything."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"Because… I hate nepotism and… I know that part of the reason I work for the F.B.I. is because of Aaron. I try to keep that part hidden so I don't get ridiculed by those who think I don't belong here in the first place."

"I thought he was the reason you… didn't want to… you know, be with me."

"No, that wasn't it. Believe me, I did want to… Really, I did. It was just the situation we were in… we couldn't."

"Yeah, I know that now."

"But I'm starting a new job." She said, changing the subject.

"Yes, I did hear that. Congratulations."

"I don't think I could stay in that place anymore, anyway. What with Andrews being obsessed with me and beating the shit out of me… it's just something I don't need to be reminded of when I'm drinking my coffee."

"You mean you're battery acid?"

She laughed at that. It was the first real laugh he'd heard out of her in ages and he couldn't even deny to himself how much he missed it.

"So… all your patients…?"

"Transferred, to other doctors. They're even discontinuing your therapy, so you won't have to worry about it. I guess they figured you'd been through enough."

"So you won't have any… professional connection… to anyone? At the B.A.U. I mean?"

She nodded, smiling slightly, "None whatsoever."

It was a moment that could have gone on forever. For a moment, Reid completely forgot Garcia was even still in the room. Finally he could have everything he wanted, had spent nights dreaming of and days trying to force from his mind. But something held him back. Maybe they had just been through too much to make anything work.

"That's great." Was all he could say.

"Yeah, it's really great." She agreed, looking a little disappointed.

An awkward silence followed. He watched Riley's tongue absentmindedly moisten her lips. It drove him crazy, but he controlled herself.

"Well," she continued. "I should go. I'm still on leave, so I really shouldn't be here."

"Yeah, get better."

"You, too." She answered. Her fingertips lightly touched his stomach for a moment, sending a tingle through him. Taking a deep breath, she reached up and wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling his neck. Reid held her close to him, resting his head on her shoulder. He could have held her forever. Realizing he was holding his breath, he inhaled deeply, taking in her perfume.

Sadly, Riley at last pulled away, lingering only long enough to kiss his cheek. "Thank you…" She whispered. "…for everything."

"You're welcome." He answered.

Without a goodbye, Riley headed out the door, closing it behind her. Reid stared at it. He had to let her go. This was for the best, after all. He was crazy to believe it would ever have worked, even from the beginning. She was better off without him. Taking a deep breath, still with the feel of her lips on his cheek, her smell lingering on him, he turned back to Garcia.

"What did you find out so far?" he asked.

Garcia was beside herself. "What was that!" she exclaimed.

"What?" he asked.

"You're just going to let her walk out of here? I thought you loved her."

"I do. You have no idea how much I do, but… Garcia, it's just better this way, okay?"

"How is it better not being with the woman you love?"

"She's better off without me, trust me."

"But she loves you! From what I just saw and heard, she is crazy about you. I can see that, why can't you?"

He did not want to have this conversation. "It's more complicated than you think."

"You're not even going to try? I can't believe this; you're really going to let her go?"

Reid stood his ground. He had a look of pure determination and sincerity. Her expression went from stunned to appalled. "You're really letting her go." She huffed in disbelief. "Reid, I never thought I'd say this to you, but you are the dumbest person I've ever met."

And with that, Garcia turned back to her keyboard. "Well, anyway… I managed to track down the three men on the suspect list Morgan gave me. Now, according to this-" She turned to point out her findings to Reid, only to find she sat alone in her office, the door standing wide open. A pleased grin spreading across her face. "Go get her, Tiger."

…………………………

"Damnit," Riley said, dropping her keys for the second time. It was hard to unlock her car with a non-dominate hand. Driving was easier. Her eyes were starting to water, but she didn't want to start crying until she was safe in her car. When she could leave this place behind… and everyone in it.

Maybe she was stupid to have come here. What was she expecting, that he'd take her in his arms and forget everything that had happened? She'd lied to him, hurt him, and all but killed him. She had put him through hell. It's hard to come back from that.

"Damnit!" she said again, her keys clanging on the concrete again. She kicked her car in frustration. Now, not only was her wrist aching and her side throbbing, but her foot hurt as well. Probably the only place on her that hadn't been bruised. Taking a deep breath, planning on a cigarette the minute she got in her car, she bent down to pick up the keys, surprised when someone beat her to it.

Reid had managed to sneak up on her and took her keys in hand. "I think you dropped these."

"Thank you," she said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to ask you a question." He said. The keys disappeared in the pocket in his pants.

"Oh," she replied, not what she expected. "Okay."

"When was the last time you had a really good kiss? I mean truly, sincerely… good and kissed? The best kiss of your life?"

"Wow," She seemed a bit surprised by this, but thought for a moment. A moment longer than Reid suspected. "I guess… Ian Courts, Harvard/Yale game… sophomore year."

That was not the answer Reid was expecting, but it didn't matter. He wasn't going to screw this up. "Okay," he replied, leaning into her.

In a quick moment, before Riley even knew what was happening, Reid had swept her into a kiss. His one hand resting on the side of her face, the other placed on her hip. Everything he had in him, his love, his compassion, his lust, his need, everything went into that kiss. It was certainly enough to knock any girl off her feet.

The kiss lasted for over thirty seconds before he finally pulled away. His hazel eyes locking with her brown ones, waiting for her response. This was it.

In an instant, she reached up and kissed him back, longer and more enthralling. She wrapped her good arm around him, the bandaged one enveloping him at the waist, pressing his body close to hers. Reid's fingers moved, tangling themselves in her hair.

At last, the kiss broke and Riley's lips curled into a smile. She leaned up, pressing her forehead on his, looking deeply into his eyes. "I was hoping you'd come after me."

"I love you, Riley." He sighed blissfully.

"I love you, too, Spencer." Her voice soft and content.

"You… you were just… kidding about that Ian guy… right?"

"Oh yeah," she said, laughing, pressing her lips to him for another round.

A/N: I hoped you guys a happy with how this ended. I'd expect the sequel will be up and running by the beginning of June. (I think it's only fair I finish the House fic I've been promising to finish for months first.) So, add me to your author alert list or just keep a look out for I Left My Heart in Seattle. (And that might give you a clue where that's headed. ;) )


	31. Update

Update: Someone asked me to post a message when the new story was up. It's entitled I Left My Heart in Seattle. Hope you guys like it.


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